freedom

Next week, all adults in Canada will have had the opportunity to vote in a federal election to determine the future of our country. What a privilege it is to live in a democracy where we are able to have a voice in our government.

And yet, many Canadians are caught in the nets of fear and anxiety. I recently listened to a podcast by Michael Meade where he shares an old wisdom story about three fish - a wise one, a half-wise one and an unwise one. The story reverberates the fact that we need to reconnect to our deep self and realization. Each person has battles and troubles, but when uncertainty and anxiety threaten us, we have two choices: to be threatened or to look for new opportunities to grow emotionally, spiritually, naturally and even physically. And so, as people go to the polls, we pray that positive choices will be made.

What comes to mind when I ponder these thoughts is what I saw recently on my cloudy, drizzling Saturday drive. Throughout the day I saw a number of hawks. The first one was much like the unwise fish. It was literally standing on the shoulder of the highway looking like it almost wanted to cross the road but was frozen in fear or hurt beyond movement. It was in danger from being hit by any one of the many passing vehicles on the road and yet it didn’t fly away. This bird is representative of the people who are afraid of an outcome, afraid of any action or those who have made unwise choices but can’t move forward for whatever reasons.

Then a few minutes later, I watched two hawks sitting on fenceposts in the rain. As I drove by, they reminded me of the half-wise fish that realized he would be caught in a net but had lost his chance to escape to the ocean. These birds represent the people that have been trapped in regret, but it is too late and they will need to wait for “next time” because they had their chance but didn’t take it. The hawks could sit there all day getting wet, or they could choose to fly away.

And then later in the day, I saw two hawks circling above my head. These of course are like the wise fish that set out on its own when it realized that fishermen were in the bay casting their nets into the water. It knew it was time to seek safety. The birds are able to soar above and are not stuck on the roadway or on a fencepost. They represent freedom to fly and the people who choose to see the world from a different perspective above the crowd. When we set out on our own, we may discover many sights.

Jesus talks about different kinds of seeds that are sown along the path and how each one represents different people. The parable of the sower gives people choices as well.

“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Matthew 13: 18-23

I pray that people will make positive choices as their seeds fall on good soil to produce an abundant crop and represent the wise fish and the soaring hawk to help us live in freedom.