Forlong - Rivers of Life

Tree Worship.
appears as the lowly peassant mother keeling at the feet of her son, as he parts from
her “to go into Bethany.” This touch of human feeling moistened every eye, the
spectators were as the weeping daughters of Jerusalem standing with bowed heads
around the kneeling mother. “We felt then,” says M. D. C., “that the play was not
for us: it was aeted by peasants for peasants; I found also in their tears and radiant
faces, that they were getting trom their love of the Holy Mother all that conception of
a Divine tenderness throned in this universe, which a Channing sought, in dwelling
on the fatherly relation of God to man.” M. D. C. “doubts if Protestantism has sufficiently
pondered the fact that the religions which have signally reached and con-
quered the hearts of the poor, have been those which have apotheosized. the feminine
element. The human heart must pass from the adoration of Isis, Minerva., Ceres,
Bertha, and Mary, but the love principle has not perished with the forms which represented
this or that phase of its evolution—and the great faith which in the future
shall unite all hearts, must reveal in all fulness, that divine love, with which the
Bavarian peasant has invested the Heavenly Woman whom he adores, far more than
the majestic Jehovah, or even the official and princely Christ. The Play draws the
heart to Mary rather than to Christ. He is the Imperial Beingm with no touch of
humanity but the fleshly form. His voice has the monotony of a clock, ticking through
its hour. The air of the High Priest attends him, even when he washes his disciples’
feet, and with a tone of snperiority says ‘If I, your Lord and Master, have washed
your feet,’ &c. Sympathy for him in his persecutions and sufferings is even chilled by
sustaining angels stepping forth to help him, and voices from heaven encouraging him.
At no time did Jesus cause so much feeling as poor Judas, when he approached the
tree to hang himself. The air of Omniscience is offensive in anyone bearing the
human form.” I have dwelt at greater length on this religious festival, and in this
place, than it seems to merit, but I desire to show not only the old faiths, but that
strong feeling of the human breast towards the worship of Maiya, or the Celestial
Mother, whose earliest home we find in Vedic races.
I may note here that this writer, M. D. C, afterwards desribes witnessing “a
St. John’s fire,” this last surviving symbol of Loki—god of all earthly fires; as his name
Loki or Leucch indicate—but who has passed to feed nether flames, leaving the supernatural
torch to the prophet of the wilderness.
This reminds us of the important “burning bush” of Exodus iii. 2—which, by the
bye, Josephns tells us was holy before the flame appeared in it. He says, “because of its
holy character” it became the vehicle of the burning, fiery, or jealous God of the Jews.
Fergusson says that the “Ashera,” or grove worsbip of the Hebrews, was
also Tree Worship—to which, of course, I demur, as a mixing up of distinct faiths,
though faiths held by the same people, to which I cannot quite find a parallel
in our present religions. No doubt Hebrews saw in the Tree the most beautiful and
most ancient temple under which man found it eaiest to lift up his thoughts to God.
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