The young bear woman set fire
across the mountains.
Wherever she passed
we saw burning mountains.
The young bear woman
sought the gods and found them,
on the mountain peaks,
with the help of my sacrifice.
~Navaho Song
The concept of sacrifice for spiritual reasons has been virtually lost in contemporary culture. Today, the word
only has negative connotations, connected with victimization and cruelty and needless pain. Yet the offering
of sacrifice has been part of most religious traditions. Ancient peoples offered up something they valued - for it
would not be a sacrifice if it were worthless - so that spring would come, or order would be maintained in the
cosmos, or a beloved child saved from death. Sacrifice may be a difficult spiritual practice today, but the wisdom
of the ages calls us to consider it.