Joy
Drew Lanham an ornithologist, poet, author and professor was the conversation guest of Krista Tippett on the podcast On Being January 28, 2021. As always, I encourage the reader to listen to or read the transcript of this conversation.
Dr. Lanham brings the rich history of living close to the earth in the South; the earth which holds the pain, songs, joy, struggles and, yes, the history of his ancestors and the universe. As an ornithologist he is especially aware of the role birds play in fertilizing the earth which not only holds our history but continues to form it. From the moment we are born we make deposits in Mother Earth which then feeds the plants and all the insects which feeds us and the birds which then travel from our home to distant places where they will feed and make more deposits.
It is not surprising that we are at our best with each other when we live close to the earth which holds our ancestors as well as our future. It is easy to get disconnected from Mother Earth living in our concrete and steel perches or the cloistered space of our paved and isolating suburban homes.
During these often seemingly dark days of disconnect and the forced isolation the birds continue to call us to gather, although perhaps few for us live close enough to the earth to experience the close relationship Dr. Lanham and other birders have to this glue.
Dr. Lanham’s DNA carries the history of his slave descending grandmother; the history of her humming which mingles with the songs of the birds. His grandmother’s humming would have carried the history of the secrets hidden in music of the spiritual. It is not a far stretch to think that the songs of the birds alsio carry those voices. Although the songs of his grandmother carried the pain of enslavement, it also carried the victory. Dr. Lanham says, “Joy is justice we give ourselves.” Once again I am reminded of all those who have refused to be destroyed by oppression. Recently I wrote of all the strong women and men who joined President Biden at his recent inauguration, many of who were the descendants of slaves; all of whom thrived in spite of racism, sexism, homophobia and all manner of the worst kind of pain we have and continue to inflict on each other. Although none of them can escape the reality of ongoing oppression - even the storming of the U. S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 - all of these strong men and women have elected to claim the justice of joy.
Joy does not negate pain. Perhaps, at times, we are hesitant to openly share the joy for fear others will have an excuse to ignore the pain they cause. Yet, we know that the experience of joy has been tempered with our pain. Listen to the spiritual. Hmmmmm... Listen to the song of the birds. Listen!
Perhaps the strength for joy can only come from feeding off the earth which has been fertilized by the birds which carry the ancestors far and near. Join me in listening to the humming of all the gathering grandmothers.
Written January 30, 2021
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
Drew Lanham an ornithologist, poet, author and professor was the conversation guest of Krista Tippett on the podcast On Being January 28, 2021. As always, I encourage the reader to listen to or read the transcript of this conversation.
Dr. Lanham brings the rich history of living close to the earth in the South; the earth which holds the pain, songs, joy, struggles and, yes, the history of his ancestors and the universe. As an ornithologist he is especially aware of the role birds play in fertilizing the earth which not only holds our history but continues to form it. From the moment we are born we make deposits in Mother Earth which then feeds the plants and all the insects which feeds us and the birds which then travel from our home to distant places where they will feed and make more deposits.
It is not surprising that we are at our best with each other when we live close to the earth which holds our ancestors as well as our future. It is easy to get disconnected from Mother Earth living in our concrete and steel perches or the cloistered space of our paved and isolating suburban homes.
During these often seemingly dark days of disconnect and the forced isolation the birds continue to call us to gather, although perhaps few for us live close enough to the earth to experience the close relationship Dr. Lanham and other birders have to this glue.
Dr. Lanham’s DNA carries the history of his slave descending grandmother; the history of her humming which mingles with the songs of the birds. His grandmother’s humming would have carried the history of the secrets hidden in music of the spiritual. It is not a far stretch to think that the songs of the birds alsio carry those voices. Although the songs of his grandmother carried the pain of enslavement, it also carried the victory. Dr. Lanham says, “Joy is justice we give ourselves.” Once again I am reminded of all those who have refused to be destroyed by oppression. Recently I wrote of all the strong women and men who joined President Biden at his recent inauguration, many of who were the descendants of slaves; all of whom thrived in spite of racism, sexism, homophobia and all manner of the worst kind of pain we have and continue to inflict on each other. Although none of them can escape the reality of ongoing oppression - even the storming of the U. S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 - all of these strong men and women have elected to claim the justice of joy.
Joy does not negate pain. Perhaps, at times, we are hesitant to openly share the joy for fear others will have an excuse to ignore the pain they cause. Yet, we know that the experience of joy has been tempered with our pain. Listen to the spiritual. Hmmmmm... Listen to the song of the birds. Listen!
Perhaps the strength for joy can only come from feeding off the earth which has been fertilized by the birds which carry the ancestors far and near. Join me in listening to the humming of all the gathering grandmothers.
Written January 30, 2021
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
RSS Feed