Overcoming
In our lore we are given symbols that demonstrate our duty to the universal order to postpone Ragnarok for as long as possible. Although the end of this current cycle is inevitable, our world is still worth saving as long as there are people here willing to prove that it is.
When we refuse to take care of our dead, our revered ancestors, their untrimmed nails will provide material for Naglfar, the ship of the dead. And when this ship has been loosed, the end has come. When men and women will not maintain the ties of matrimony, when oaths are no longer tended to, and when we all succumb to their wanton desires, this world will tear itself apart. But we can keep this from happening in the near future, and we owe it to every generation that follows us to work for life, for convergence and evolution, both in our society and in our own hearts.
It would be easy to give in, to realize that our demise is inevitable and just throw in the towel. We could embrace Chaos, or we could understand that how we live is more important than the fact that we are going to die. Every person on this planet is going to die at some point, and yet we go on living our lives the best we in order to make a positive impact upon this world. It must be the same way with us humans as a species. Perhaps one day we will make contact with life on other planets, so that when our sun burns out or a meteor blows us all to smithereens, or we delve into global chaos and destruction, or all of the above; we will have a legacy in this universe. Or perhaps not, who knows? But if we do nothing we will be nothing.
We are here, in this moment, and because of this we owe it to the force of creation to fight on their side and work for the cosmic order. After all, without them we would have never existed.And that is my purpose here, to show you that you can rise above the destructive, self-serving lifestyles that only bring harm to our people. You can see for yourself how wonderful family life can be (provided you find the right partner), and if you choose this, make it that image in your head of family dinners and talks and all that Norman Rockwell stuff. You may come from a horrible family background, but that doesn’t mean that you cannot do a better job as a parent and spouse yourself. In fact, you have a head start because you already know what not to do! Be a good role model, listen to your partner and your kids; respect them and see to it that you are worthy of their respect.Now, if you do not have a family or cannot have a family, I am in no way condemning you. Many have circumstances that make this an impossibility. Even then you can promote the message of family units and tribe. We are not condemning you for what you cannot control.
Our words here are aimed at those who think that marriage is ‘outdated,’ that women who have many children should be derisively referred to as ‘baby machines,’ and that we should all stop having families because of environmental scares, overpopulation, or some political agenda. It does not matter what side of the political spectrum you fall on, or what words or thoughts you have, a dead family line is a dead family line. Period. Then, when you get older and you have no one to love you or take care of you, you will rely on the ‘state’ as your provider, dying alone and forgotten. A sad state indeed.
Odinism is the lifestyle of converging family and friends into tight-knit social units (call them clans, hearths, kindreds, etc.) so that we can help one another, love one another, and take care of one another. That is what we are all about. That is what our faith is all about. If you look at our lore, this is what the Gods are all about! We embrace this lifestyle wholeheartedly, without regret and without compromise; for we know it is the only way to work for the forces of order and convergence. To truly oppose the forces of isolation, selfishness, and chaos.
Odisbook: The Book of Odr
