This is my short comment on a post that Lode Engelen wrote. You can read his full post in the link below, (and all his other posts on www.LodeEngelen.be)
https://www.lodeengelen.be/WP/2025/12/27/de-karen-tussen-bergen-en-beschaving-een-reis-naar-het-hart-van-een-veerkrachtig-volk/
“Real good informative photos as usual.
And a very balanced view of the Karen people and their culture.
Most are Christian but MERGE those beliefs and faith with their animist culture–something Lode brings out well in this piece.
“I visited a hill tribe village about 7 years ago with my French friends, they were of course initially interested in taking photo opportunities with the long neck girls.
But then they saw the non-touristy side of their culture when we were invited to join in their Christian service and have a meal together afterwards.
For them, God is in the nature that is around them, and which He created.
“So, animism is not mere superstition; it’s a real belief in the creator God.
“As the English poet and hymn writer, Dorothy Francis Gurney (1858-1932), said, “You are nearer to God in a garden than anywhere else on Earth”.
Dorothy Gurney – Wikipedia
As always, readers are welcome to comment on both my blog posts and those of Lode.
The content and final editing remain my own.
