Last Sunday morning we were saying farewell to the last of our guests. It had been a joy to see caged “birds” fly free at our FREEDOM! retreat, “I feel so much lighter” was the parting comment that morning from one “old bird”. His Ojibwa name is Woodpecker. He’d been in rehab 38 times before meeting Jesus and getting free and with each retreat here the peace in our dear friend seems to be deepening.
After being “cooped up” inside all day Saturday I was delighted to now get outside on my own to run and re-create!
I found myself jogging along the nearby railway track – eyes down and anxiously fixed lest I should miss a tie and twist an ankle.
The railway reminded of a recent talk I’d done from Psalm 66.
” What is the poorest demographic group in the USA?” I had asked the fellowship.
“Middle aged suburban white folks.” came the answer – from one of our Native friends.
“Right!” I said. A recent study I read showed that this is the group that is experiencing the fastest rise in suicides.” I would propose.” I said, “That this is an indicator of spiritual poverty, amongst the most materially affluent.” Then turning to scripture I took my proposition a step farther.
“Might verses 10 – 12 be a commentary on the American experiment?
“You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our back.” “Is this a depiction of the African American experience?” I asked. “The prison ships? The literal shackles?”
“You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water.” “Is this a depiction of the Native American experience?” I suggested. “The railroad? The fever of infectious diseases deliberately introduced? The ‘fire -water’ called alcohol?”
“Notice” I said, “That the sovereign God takes responsibility for these trials. But then what does it say?”
“You brought us to a place of abundance.”
“Is it too simplistic to believe that these allowed trials produced something precious in the way of a spiritual heritage that these races were (op)pressed into….. prayers of forefathers and mothers that the current generations are still being afforded protection by? What else could explain the drop in suicides among black men in prison? What else could explain that there still exists an Indian population in this land despite the many attempts to annihilate them?”
“Get off the track!” I heard.
My attention had switched to the birds singing on either side of the railway.
“Get off the track!” they sang again.
“Why?” I thought and checked to see if a train was coming. No train. Then just as my ears had been opened my nostrils began to smell the creosote of the railway lies under my feet.
“It’s killing you too!”
I came to a halt and looked up. there in front of me was a young doe, beautifully innocent, and so still, I wasn’t sure if it was real or a statue. I walked to within a few feet…. then all of a sudden she turned and ran off into the woods.
A rabbit scampered away. An eagle soared overhead.
I obeyed, and moved off the railway track – from reflections on earthly trials back to a earthen trail.
I knew I had also been moved inwardly as my ‘spiritual senses’ had been awakened.
I was no longer the anxious dominator on his rigid iron road, but I had rejoined the rest of creation as a peaceful friend and as the one charged by the Creator to ‘tend’ it.
I looked down. This time not at the deadly ties that bind but at a broken egg…. from which a little robin had just been freed and given flight into “a place of abundance”