Biblical Bolivia

Biblical Bolivia

I lift up my eyes to the hills — where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.. (Psalm 121:1-2)

Like many poor indigenous cultures, Bolivians tend to be more cognizant of the spiritual aspect of life than many Westerners. However, this awareness rarely seems to be to their good. Like the time when Psalm 121 was written, it is not uncommon to see shrines on the high ground in the countryside.

Unlike the Asherah poles of David's time, the shrines today in Bolivia usually take the form of crosses. All the shrines are seemingly Christian in nature, until one notices all the alcohol at the base of the crosses. This alcohol is poured out as a drink offering; I believe that sometimes it is for Christ, other times it is for pachamama. Here, Christ seems to be one God among many. For example, the Bolivian woman whose house I stayed in (just a hundred meters or so from this shot) stated that she was a Catholic who believed in God, and that at the end of carnival, she would pour out a drink offering around her house to pachamama, and terramama. Those two 'gods' are the earth mother and the god of the dirt(?).