What she didn't understand, she being spiritual and seeing religion as spirit, was that it took religion to save me from the spirit world, from orbiting the earth like Lucifer and the angels, that it took nothing less than touching the thread off the misty interstates and eating Christ himself to make me mortal man again and let me inhabit my own flesh and love her in the morning.
In "Love in the Ruins," Walker Percy explores the deep connection between religion and human existence. The protagonist reflects on his struggle with the spirit world and emphasizes that it was through religion, rather than spirituality alone, that he found redemption and the ability to connect with the physical world. This understanding reveals a tension between spiritual experiences and the grounding that religion provides.
The quote illustrates a transformative journey, where the speaker recognizes that embracing religious practices and beliefs allowed him to escape the disembodied existence he felt. By partaking in the essence of Christ, he became fully human again, capable of love and connection. It highlights the importance of religion in fostering meaningful relationships and the personal journey of finding one's place in the world.
