Kim Robinson - outside reading # 4

On another day when I was reading for my religious studies class I was reading about Japanese religions. This time the section was highlighting specific Shinto practices and one was able to catch my attention. It was the practice of misogi which is believed to purify one’s self by standing under a waterfall. This caught my attention because I began to think how that same practice is done throughout the world, specifically here in the United States. You have Southern Baptist churches who baptize their new members by submerging themselves in a river or body of water. The water is said to wash away the past sins. Also even in my church, St. Georges Episcopal Church, which George Washington attended when he lived in Ferry Farm, uses water to purify the one being baptized. The simple act of using water to form a cross on the forehead can relate back to the Japanese practice. It’s interesting to see how such a simple thing can translate into different cultures and religions.