Arrived
around 5:15 am at a nearby Garden of Paradise (a parishioner’s
last name) and then took a walk to the edge of the woods where we
thought the turkey were spending the night. We sat in silence for
about 2 hours and not hearing a gobble, decided to move (flee) to
another space in the woods. While “on the way” we called
the turkey and then from what seemed like a distant country came a
response - a gobble. We set up again. Stillness – silence –
sacredness come together in the waiting, the calling, the answering.
There is an experience of harmony and peace. The sound of the gobble
gets closer and my friend Mark gets a visual sighting at the top of
a knoll. I say to myself: “don’t move and don’t even
let the whites of my eyes show.” And I try to keep my heart from
making so much noise. Then this majestic bird starts to drift in another
direction but a little “chirp” - a call gained the attention
of this tom turkey as his tail fans out and his demeanor has meaning.
He has turned and and is coming toward me. I hope he will strut in
between those trees and let me see his head. He did! I don’t
even remember the gun making any noise. And all 20+ lbs rested on
the spot as did I. I’ll keep the 12 in. beard, the 1 inch spurs
and take delight in eating the meat and then use the feathers for
tying flies. I thank God for the experience and for another spiritual
and physical adventure.
Arsenius
is a well known person of prayer and a hunter. His story has been
told many times and his focus is salvation. Arsenius prayed to God
about achieving salvation. And God said to Arsenius three brief words:
flee, be silent and rest. It’s like turkey hunting.
To flee
is a strength of the turkey. If the turkey perceives or suspects trouble,
it might be a better option to go elsewhere. For humans, fleeing can
mean to flee from some-thing but can also mean to take flight for
something - the hunt. The philosopher Plotinus spoke of the flight
“of the alone to the Alone.” Abraham took flight and went
to a space and place that God directed. It is well to remember that
Jesus was one of those who fled. And it is quoted: “Do you not
know know that I must be about my Father’s business?” From
God alone comes life and meaning of life.
To be
silent is part of turkey hunting. Silence is the word Arsenius heard
for his journey and hunt. Silence restores energy and creates a living
Paradise. There is a story of a monk who had a sharp tongue. An older
monk said to him: “Go and find me a turkey.” The young monk
produced it. “Now pluck it feathers.” He obeyed. Once the
turkey was plucked the old monk said: “Now put its feathers back
on.” The young man, somewhat shocked, asked: “how am I supposed
to do that? You can’t put feathers back on a plucked turkey.”
“Right you are,” said the old monk very kindly. “Just
as you can’t repair the reputation of someone who you have destroyed
with your tongue. Take care not to slander you neighbor.” Only
holy ones know how to keep calm in the face of healthy tension. To
become silent enables us to listen to turkey and to humans and to
God. Prayer is not just talking to God but listening to God. “Hear,
O Israel.” Even Mary “listened and pondered all these things
in her heart.” The moments of listening are precious.
To rest
is the gift of shalom, the gift of peace, the gift of Paradise. To
repose is to experience the gift of oneness. If one believes what
physicists tell us about the interconnectedness of all things, that
it is impossible to remove one sprig of straw without disturbing a
star, it is not so difficult to believe that a person of deep peace
communicates calm and serenity to the whole world. One never prays
for ones self alone. Be at rest. It’s physical and spiritual.
Our task is not to to take God but to receive God. It has been said:
“Desire all that you have and you will have all you desire.
