Spirituality

The native Hawaiian people have a wonderful spirituality. They are very friendly and helpful. The parish we attended church at last night took ib $14,000 last week so someone is very giving people here, too.

We commented that our nation could learn a lot from Hawaiian, Alaskan and other Native Americans we have met.

Father Damian and his followers helped settle Oahu. The lepers were sent to one island named Molokai and he cared for them and became one of them. He died with leprosy himself. Men like him had a big influence on the islanders and I imagine were a big part of Hawaii becoming our 50th state.

Leprosy isn't near the problem it was hundreds and thousands of years ago since we know what causes it, Mycobacteria leprae. Even the rare blue skined people have been explained.

"In ancient Hawaii the kahuna were far more than the priests of a religious order. They were experts, trained in a variety of skills and occupations, the learned and professional men and women of their time. On them rested the responsibility of preserving and advancing knowledge within their specific discipline. They arrived at their positions only after more than two decades of training.

L. R. Mcbride collected information about the kahuna for many years through extensive research in 19th century writings and interviews with Hawaiian people. In this fascinating account he gives an accurate and unsensational account of what the kahuna really meant in the Hawaiian culture of long ago. McBride includes fascinating legends and stories concerning individual kahuna. Illusrated with reproductions of historic prints, photographs and drawings by the author and others, The Kahuna presents a readable introduction to a fascinating aspect of ancient Hawaiian culture."

This gives you some idea of the spirituality of the native people and how it has changed but remained basically the same over time.

Ed