At a time when I felt siloed, Raven fed my soul. Now I give food to the ravens that visit our yard.
To paraphrase “The Parable of the Long Spoons,” a man got a glimpse of heaven and hell. At first, the settings looked identical.
In both places, he saw people gathered around a delicious pot of stew. Each person had a four foot long spoon. There, the similarities ended.
The people in heaven appeared to be happy and healthy; whereas in hell, they were emaciated and depressed. Why the disparity?
Observing more closely, the residents of heaven reached across the table to feed one another. The people experiencing hell could not get beyond only trying to feed themselves.
Often, religions and governments promise us utopia, if we do this, refrain from that or vote a particular way. Although such choices can point us in the right direction, lasting joy comes when we live from the Sacred within.
More than likely, we will not be able to change all that disturbs us about this world. Nevertheless, we can become more aware of our intentions and the heaven or hell we are creating not just for ourselves, but for everyone.
Though outer circumstances may remain, the honest ways in which we respond become more compassionate and thus more powerful than before. Instead of allowing the state of affairs to determine our well-being, we offer life-giving energy back to the world. In doing so we draw like-hearted people, who may differ from us in other obvious ways.
Raven fed my soul, because I was willing to let something other feed me. And I feed the ravens today, not because I should, but because I am grateful that when I needed nourishment, Raven came with provisions.
When my dreams were like a pot of stew and my reality, a four foot spoon, Raven invited me to a bigger table. It was the place that freed me to choose life and empower others to do the same.
Making Spirit Flesh*
What if the thing that needs to change, in our world, is our collective heart?
Ultimately, the collective heart changes one heart at a time.