Sin Eaters

There's a rather weird and old tradition dating back to 18th and 19th century Scotland. It is the tradition of the village sin-eater. In this custom, bread and drink were typically place on the body of a deceased person and then a sin-eater was hired (quite cheaply honestly) to eat it, thus in turn taking the un forgiven sins from the dead person into themselves. Sin eaters were typically considered the lowest of the village as once the sins were "consumed" they stayed with the person throughout life. This practice some believe was carried out in the Appalachian areas of the United States, the belief brought over by immigrants. Some believe this practice might have been a misinterpretation or misguided use of a Jewish tradition, in which a goat, representing the sins of the Jewish people was released into the wilderness on Yom Kippur.

Back when I was doing counseling as a LPC, I sometimes compared the emotional exhaustion of dealing with the tragic events as similar to a sin eater. This was a very broad stretch of the idea but I simply meant that without proper self care that the emotional devastation of others can seep into your being and overwhelm you.

It's interesting to me that the "sin eater" consumed bread and drink much in the same way that we come to communion and partake of the "body and blood" of Christ who took away our sins. Yet Christ did so for love rather than material gain and it did not make him "the lowest of the village" but rather a Savior.

In reflecting I am reminded that we do not have to face things alone, whether the burden of sins or other trials and tribulations. We are not alone. We are part of a greater whole. The song of the universe includes each of us. We all carry a part of the tune. Each of us a  puzzle piece of the world that God created and loves.

This soul musing is rather "open ended" isn't it?  It feels like its incomplete. In my musing I never really got to an ending place but rather more questions exist because of my thought processes. That's part of musing, though isn't it?  Musings aren't about short and sweet answers, about knowing the "right answer" but rather about growing in the search. Perhaps this is a topic we shall visit again.

Hugs and Love sent to you. Know that others struggle with the same questions, the same doubts, the same random "what nows" that you do. Seek the answers in your heart.