Narada is the Hindu god of service. When given the choice between accepting his own enlightened award or helping others to attain theirs, he chose the people. He surrendered becoming one with Brahma -- surrendering even the gift of communion -- to minister to humanity's needs. In so doing, Narada traveled the land serving and instructing his earthly brothers and sisters via sarod (art), sutra (words) and yoga (deeds). Often portrayed as a "demigod of light," scholars have drawn the obvious parallel between Narada and similar gods Quetzalcoatl and Jesus.
The American Narada is me. I've evolved over my 30-plus years from Christian to Agnostic to Humanist. I share the conviction described by Unitarian Universalist minister Kenneth Phifer:
Humanism teaches us that it is immoral to wait for God to act for us. We must act to stop the wars and the crimes and the brutality of this and future ages. We have powers of a remarkable kind. We have a high degree of freedom in choosing what we will do. Humanism tells us that whatever our philosophy of the universe may be, ultimately the responsibility for the kind of world in which we live rests with us.
It's no surprise, then, that I adopted the moniker while researching Hinduism in preparation for a study-abroad trip to "Golden Triangle" India last year. I identify with Narada's benevolent deeds, words, and dedication to the arts -- his legend providing a metaphor through which to serve, reflect and create.
Thus this blog. AMERICAN NARADA will feature life reflections and media highlights. It will include service journals, be a hub for my creative endeavors, and provide me a place to talk about my favorite communicative medium, comix.* The plan is to post weekly, providing room for occasional "special" series. I hope you'll find something of worth.
Thanks, in advance, for humoring me. Welcome to godland.
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* Comix, i.e. "comics," "comic books," "graphic novels," "sequential art," and ilk. "Comics" are comedians; "comic books" are books written by or about comedians; "graphic novels" are explicitly violent and/or pornographic prose; "sequential art" is animation and artworks in a shared gallery exhibit... Get the point? "Comix," on the other hand, is comix -- the word respects convention while still branding the medium's holistic collection of attributes and traits as unique. The medium includes single panels, strips, magazines, collections, original short and book-length stories, etc. presented in print, on the web, digitally, and otherwise. I use "comix" in advocacy.
