AffinityWorks - On Nature, Earth & Religion

Several years ago, as I drove up my street, a large family of crows glided down toward me from a canopy of tall oaks. One dipped too low and hit my car fender, shattering his wing. I stopped at the roadside and found him, jet-black and glossy, sprawled in the overgrowth. I cried as I gathered up this wild, sky-fallen creature, and he quietly gave in to my hands. I held him against my body and turned back toward home. Our paths had crossed in a fateful moment that would dramatically change both our lives.

I had always felt a special affinity for birds, and this became my unfortunate introduction to wildlife rehabilitation... the following year I became a licensed rehabilitator. Through this experience, I discovered how difficult it is to define and manage one's personal relationship with wildlife and Nature. Injured animals cannot rationalize their suffering as we do, and I learned that the decisions we make must honor the animal's perspective and quality of life, not our own.

In the same way, we need to be thoughtful about the decisions we make regarding our personal relationships with the Earth. This also encompasses the diversity of the Earth's religions and cultures, historically a source of so much disagreement and war. To feel bound to the land of our cultural or religious heritage is a basic human force that promotes a harmonious relationship with the Earth. But it becomes destructive when we feel threatened by neighboring cultures and their opposing systems of belief. Ultimately, we should all have the right to our sense of heritage and belonging without fear of persecution, oppression, dislocation or imprisonment. These are the fears that breed hatred and war, and cause us to destroy each other and the Earth.

Over time, we have lost our sense of belongingness to the Earth and lost our respect for Nature. As the human mind and intellectual capacity became more revered, we have been taught to view Nature as something to be feared, conquered, and exploited. We were told She had been provided to serve us, and that all of Her abundant resources were for our exclusive use. The Earth does provide for us, but there is a balance and harmony that must be respected and maintained. When we take, we take only what is needed and we do so with gratitude, and we nurture the replacement of what we have used. We respect the cycle of life. We remember we are of the Earth, not visitors here.

Growing up, I felt deeply tied to Nature, in all of Her spiritual and maternal aspects, and this attracted me to ancient sacred beliefs and to their rich element of animism and pantheism. It continues to be a strong influence in my artwork and personal studies, and my experience in wildlife rehabilitation has added a unique dimension to my work.

Unfortunately, the crow whose life collided with mine never spread his wings to touch the sky again. The facility that had cared for him eventually sent him to an educational program where he spends most of his time keeping company with another crow. I imagine he is resigned to his existence... but is it a good one? Crows are highly intelligent, social birds, and he lost everything that had defined who he was: his ability to fly, his crow family, and the territory he once knew as "home."

Yet he is still a crow.

And we all still come from the Earth. The belief in Earth and Nature as the strong, positive force helps to nurture a sense of belonging and connectedness in every aspect of our lives. It is a sacred relationship meant to foster respect and an awareness of the inter-relationship of all beings and cultures. It's a place I believe we once started from.

Perhaps we now find ourselves struggling to return to it.

*Joy*

AffinityWorks
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