“We live by each other and for each other. Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.”
—Helen Keller
Moving slower lets you observe what’s around you. I’m a bicycle commuter for many reasons, but the ability to better notice the world—and its birds—is one of my favorite gifts of the practice. From my bike I can see them fly, build their nests, and raise their chicks throughout the summer. With that said, one species’ future is another species’ snack, and I am the witness to a lot of hunting.
I’ll be waiting at an intersection for the light to change, handlebars in hands, when a scene will unfold in front of me:
A large bird, usually a predator, swoops into an area filled with smaller birds. But instead of what one might expect when faced with a predator, the smaller birds collectively swoop and attack the larger one. They dive and scream. They make being around unpleasant, and the larger bird will usually fly away, chased until the smaller ones find the distance acceptable.
I’ve seen this collective effort from crows chasing ravens, hawks, and vultures. I’ve seen this with redwing blackbirds chasing crows. Their bravery impresses me. The size difference is big. Caught alone, the small bird would be a meal of the larger one. The small ones surely understand that. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by large powerful forces of potential death and yet they challenge it directly and often are successful.
My mind wanders to all the ways that large, powerful forces in society threaten people I love or undermine my values. I witness them making rules or laws that challenge the self-defined personhood of people I love, starting unjust wars with deadly weapons, or showing up at my neighbors’ doors exacting life-disrupting consequences for not having the right paperwork.
By myself, I am an ineffective advocate. And I hear people around me describing powerlessness as the defining characteristic of their relationship to forces of harm. This is a perspective from a single person. Civil rights movements, labor movements, and other efforts of justice do advance. History shows that success is possible, and it is a collective effort.
It seems that every time I’m getting overwhelmed, I see another bird reminding me that you can be triumphant when challenging big things. The trick is doing it together.
Prayer
May we find our people and join together. May community inspire the bravery needed to fight for justice. May we use our collective power to create a life-affirming, equitable world.