SOME keep the Sabbath going to church;
I keep it staying at home,
With a bobolink for a chorister,
And an orchard for a dome.
Some keep the Sabbath in surplice;	5
I just wear my wings,
And instead of tolling the bell for church,
Our little sexton sings.
God preaches,—a noted clergyman,—
And the sermon is never long;	10
So instead of getting to heaven at last,
I’m going all along!

One of my favorite poems is by Emily Dickinson (posted above). The main idea behind it is that she does not need to have an institutionalized religion to be religious. She has a personal relationship with God, and she worships him in the setting of nature. (This poem likens nature to a church, calling an orchard the dome of the church, etc.)

The idea behind this poem reminded me of many of the beliefs of the Rastas. Most obviously, both have a connection with nature and all things organic. We saw in the video on Rastafari that at least that group of Rastas lived in a very natural setting, getting everything they needed from nature. This is something Dickinson surely would have appreciated, given what she says in this poem.

Dickinson focuses on a very personal relationship with God, and while Rastas have a strong sense of community and other such things, they also seem to have the same type of mindset when it comes to religion. They want to go back to Africa, back to their natural setting, and back to a way of life that does not have someone telling them how to do things - including how to worship God.