Taking the Plunge: River Baptism in Nicaragua

By Blue, April 22nd, 2011

It’s the public nature of the river baptism that sets it apart from so many other religious rituals. And since a public testimony of faith requires an audience – yesterday while riding our horses – Jamie and I were stopped and invited to join the community at 9:30 am today at the river directly behind the ranch.

As a photographer I was more than excited about the event because photography has  played an important role in the ritual of river baptisms- as indicated by the numerous photos of turn-of-the-century river baptisms in the American south and of course baptisms in the River Jordan. And today, with permission to take photos, it was happening in my own backyard.

Back to the moment that was today. We arrive at 9:30 on the dot to find only a few men dressed in their Sunday best. We forgot to account for a ‘Nica time’ delayed start time. The men were reviewing the site as overnight the newly dredged area had been filled with a mossy floating substance…..and they had their good duds on. So Jamie offered to go and get a rake and clean it up. It’s the dry season so they had built a small wall to retain some water and ensure it would be deep enough for immersion.

Today 7 adults (5 young women, a woman in her 60′s and one young man) were to be baptized in the river – at the same place where our dogs, Tuco and Rhody, go for their daily swim.

The river baptism, is a simple act, but aesthetically a very powerful one. From the spectator’s vantage, watching someone immersed backward — face, clothes, hair, and all, into a river —I could feel the catch in my own lungs and that terrifying bit of water in the nose.

The ritual of immersion baptism mirrors the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ by giving the person being baptized a spiritual death, burial/resurrection, and renewal.  The person is “buried” in the river along with their old life, and then “resurrected” as they are pulled from the watery grave. It is said that although the baptism is performed individually, the ritual is one of communal bonding. With each baptism, the group of faithful also is reborn, refreshed. I must admit that I felt bonded to my community and yes. somewhat refreshed.

We have always felt that there’s something beautiful about the immediate area that we have chosen to call home..and today it was brought home… very close to home. The images of today are forever in my memory and will no doubt surface every time we cross that spot in the river on horseback when we head out on the tours.

On so many levels.. this was such a Good Friday.. and even as I write this  hours later (10:30 pm at night) I can hear  music and singing from the nearby churches across the river.  It is Holy Week (Semana Santa) afterall.