The Shepherd’s Path, Part 23: Life in Sanctuary

It should come as no surprise that religion is common and flourishing in Sanctuary. However, the topic of religion is considered very private and overt displays of faith outside of the actual act of worship are quite rare. The Shepherds do not consider themselves a religious organization. Any member is free to believe in whatever religion they want, or none at all should they choose. Due to the nature of the colony’s history, it is almost unheard of for someone to not be Jerusalemite, but that fact is considered just another aspect of a person like their hair or eye color. For most people, though, their faith is a major component of their life. Religious services for all sects are common and readily available for those seeking them. The nature of someone’s practice of their faith is considered highly personal, and criticizing it is seen as one of the highest forms of disrespect.

The Shepherds place a heavy emphasis on the idea that the organization is a family. It is not uncommon for members to call each other brother and sister, and this has affected the traditional family unit. Having children at all is something of an undertaking and requires application and approval before anything is allowed to happen. From there, natural or artificial conception can take place between the parents. No real distinction is made between the two options, although many religious traditions highly encourage natural reproduction if possible. From there, based on personal preference or religious belief, the process is allowed to progress naturally or the embryo is removed and placed in an artificial womb. In either case, gene therapy is used early on if any major birth defects are detected. The actual birth or returning of the child from an artificial womb is a cause of celebration.

After a child is born, the parents raise it in a rather traditional manner. The child begins education and conditioning early, and is ready to participate in society at 16, where they are placed in a simple working position and tested over the next two years for aptitudes. Those with a noted potential in some field are pulled early to begin specialized training, and the rest transition to spend a five year cycle in the military orders at the age of 18. Up until this time, the child and parents live much as their family has for millennia. Where Sanctuary deviates from this is after the child leaves their parents. Contact with one’s parents is not an expectation and instead the child will develop family-style relationships with others in their field. The overwhelming majority of Sanctuary citizens do maintain some degree of contact for religious, social, or just traditional familial reasons. Despite the expected estrangement, a citizen’s overall ancestry is a topic of some note, and is often used as a measure of what is expected of them or as a measure by which they can gauge success. For example, the child of a famous angel pilot may see that as a call to do the same.

How humans treat death is often a way to interpret how they see life. To the average citizen of Sanctuary, death is simply another step in existence. The vast majority of Jerusalemite sects tell their adherents that after this life is an existence of eternal paradise for those who abide by their (often loose) rules. As such, death is often a somber affair that marks the transition of a soul to the next life. Funerals typically consist of a small service involving a selection of those invited by the deceased before their passing, who tell of their time with them. An undertone of an expectation to see each other again is generally present as well. Music, food, and other aspects of the service are often preselected by the deceased as a final reminder of their mortal life, and a message is usually recorded by them to be played at their funeral. A final aspect of these ceremonies is a celebration of accomplishments, often in the form of a eulogy spoken and prepared by a religious leader of the deceased’s choosing. Photos, mementos, and videos are often placed on display as a visual example of these accomplishments. There is naturally substantial deviation from these norms, as how each Shepherd views their own death varies quite a bit. When one receives an invitation to a funeral it is considered extremely disrespectful to not go if able, and work positions will make accommodations if possible. If a person cannot attend for some reason, then a note is sent to be read for them in absentia during the service.

With how controlled society is, the Shepherds place great emphasis on the arts and other creative outlets. Citizens are actively encouraged to partake in these types of activities, and those who do well may even be allowed to do it professionally. This is particularly common with musicians and other entertainers. The most popular forms of music fall into two genres. The first is called “Even,” and is a relatively basic genre that emphasizes a single singer accompanied by simple wind and string instruments. The name and style harken back to the early pioneer days, when small groups far from civilization would get together and sing to each other in the evening. Variants of this type include a subgenre with a heavy emphasis on rhythm, much like the songs sung in the fields to maintain timing and pace. Even music is by far the most popular form on New Jerusalem due to the ease of transmission and low-tech instrumentation. The other most popular form, “Techoral,” features a group of singers accompanied by more modern instruments and electric synth sounds. The lyrics are usually slower, and the interplay between that and the faster music has drawn many fans. Followers of Techoral often use the lyrical component to further subdivide the genre. Visual media such as art, interactive games, and film are prevalent, and cover a wide variety of genres, styles, and techniques. Art takes a variety of forms, but Sanctuary generally artists take great pains to work subtle references and patterns into pieces. This leads to very ornate and busy work. Interactive media such as VR games are common, and are even used for educational purposes. Film and theater are notably less common in Sanctuary, even when compared to the rest of New Jerusalem. The few productions that are made usually fall into the genre of historical fiction, and tell stories of the past using dramatic beats and original characters.

Genevieve Mannerheim tried to hold back her tears as she walked past the casket of her father Raymond. He had died a broken man, his past haunting him until the end of his days. The pictures of him around the casket were all of his time either before, or after his service in the military orders. Everyone, especially him, wanted to forget his military career. Genevieve held her daughter in her arms. Leah was less than a year old, and had seemed the one point of joy in her now dead grandfather's life. Raymond had played with her even while he was bedridden in hospice care. Genevieve had never seen her father like that before.

Decades ago, Raymond Mannerheim had been an up and coming angel pilot with a promising career ahead of him. He had made officer rank with 4 years and was viewed as a rising star. That had all come crashing down when, according to the official line, he had screwed up. A smooth collection operation turned into a bloodbath with hundreds of civilian casualties, and their blood was on Raymond’s hands. The mission had been partially salvaged by the actions of another pilot and when the unit returned home, an inquiry was launched. Lieutenant Raymond Mannerheim was deemed responsible, while Lieutenant Lucius Alberecht was lauded as a hero who saved many lives after Mannerheim’s screwup. Raymond was drummed out of the corps of angel pilots, and had spent the rest of his life with a reputation as a failure. Genevieve had never known her father before his time in the Order of Saint Michael, and the idea of him as a vibrant young man with a bright future was a foreign concept. He had been a passable father, though a bit too much into drinking and other vices to the point where he wasn’t home much. He had few friends, which was apparent in the rather poor attendance of his funeral. Perhaps a quarter of those invited had shown up, which was far less than even Genevieve had thought of in a worst case scenario. Catered food sat unopened as so few guests had made it. The whole ceremony had been almost bleak, with a sense of relief that it was finally over.

The final event was to listen to Raymond’s recorded message to those in attendance. The view screen showed a frail old man with hollow eyes. It was a standard thank you and apology for all that he had done or failed to do in life. The last bit at the end caught Genevieve by surprise.

“Lastly, I would like to leave my pocket watch to my granddaughter. May she keep it and hold it as a reminder to be better than me.”

That pocketwatch had been Genevieve’s father’s obsession, and it had been almost destroyed in his failed mission. The watch had never been repaired and now had a shattered internal mechanism. Its casing was pitted and scarred and it would never work again. Ironic, she had always thought, just like her father. Nobody in her family really wanted it, but if he insisted…

Later that evening, when Genevieve and her husband had gotten home, she had pulled the old watch out of her fathers effects. Holding it by its chain in front of her, she watched it spin in the air. She took in every pit, scratch, dent and blemish over its brass surface. She flipped it open and looked through the shattered glass at the wreck of internal gears and timing devices. It was over a thousand years old and had been passed through her family the whole time and she had planned on finally throwing it away. Genevieve heard a squeak at her side and looked down at her daughter. Genevieve smiled to herself, well if it’s what her father wanted, she would honor his last wish. She brought it closer to her daughter’s face.

“See, Leah, your grandpa left you something to remember him by….”