The Savage Arena

At first glance, we thought it was an owl. Through a window, we saw the dark shape of a large bird sitting in a tree with a commanding view of the koi pond in our backyard.

I attached a telephoto lens to my camera and walked onto our deck to get a better look. In the magnified zoom view, I saw clearly that this was no owl. It was a red-shouldered hawk – an aggressive hunter who had his sharp eyes on the koi fish in our pond.

I stepped off the deck and walked slowly along the path toward the pond. The hawk eyed me curiously but didn’t move a feather. It saw me as a large, slow ground-dweller who posed no threat to him.

The bird made no move against me or the fish that morning. But the uneasy truce didn’t last. A few days later, we spotted the hawk dive-bombing the pond, hoping to snatch any fish that swam too close to the surface. (Fortunately for the koi, they typically linger at depths that are beyond the reach of a red-shouldered hawk’s talons.)

All of this proves that nature is a savage arena, and all creatures are gladiators fighting for survival.

 

If we like to think that humans are somehow above it all, our history (and the daily news reports) tell a different story. In the 7^th Century, Shaolin Buddhist monks in China had to develop martial arts skills to defend their monasteries against hordes of plundering bandits. In 9^th Century Ireland, Christian monks on the remote Skellig Island were attacked repeatedly by ruthless Viking raiders. And remember that the Romans threw gladiators into the Colosseum to kill for sport.

My heart leads me to focus on the goodness, beauty and kindness I see in the world – but I'm not naive. I know it can be a brutal arena out there. As the fish in the koi pond know all too well, it takes courage to be alive.

---

 If you appreciated this reflection, consider sharing it with a friend or posting to your social media account.