From Our President
Dr. Kenn Gordon
Dr . Kenn Gordon is co-pastor of the Kelowna, BC, Centre for Positive Living.
Looking Up
There were once two young boys who lived on the banks of the Chekamus River. Every year at spawning time, the river turned red with salmon swimming upstream. Just before the fish began to run, the availability of such abundance attracted thousands of bald eagles who perched on the tops of the trees bordering the river.
One year, marveling at the many beautiful birds, the two youngsters decided they would trap one and make it their pet. They built a cage from lodge poles and included a large trapdoor on the top. They then went to the riverbank with a large net and waited. When the fish began to run, they hid quietly in the woods until one of the eagles dove from its lofty perch to grab a big, fine salmon in its talons. Just as the bird touched the water, they cast their net and trapped it.
They took the eagle, squealing and struggling, to the cage and placed him through the trapdoor into his new home. The eagle was furious. He dropped down into the enclosure and hopped immediately to the side facing the boys. There, he clung ferociously to the poles and screamed in outrage. The youngsters were very pleased they had caught such a brave and powerful pet and they determined they would tame him. However, as the days went by, the eagle clung to the cage and continued to voice his anger and rage, striking out at every opportunity to harm them when they came near and taking neither water nor food. After a week, the boys grew fearful for the eagle’s life and soon decided they must set him free.
That afternoon, fearful the eagle would harm them, one distracted the bird in its cage while the other climbed to the roof and opened the door. The two then retreated out of sight so the bird could escape. The eagle never moved. In his fury, he clung to the bar and continued raging. Days passed, and even though the cage was open and the eagle was free to escape, he never moved from his spot. He continued to cling to his position, raging and attacking, not taking any food or water until in time, he weakened and died.
There are times in our lives when we are like the eagle, living our lives in anger, rage, and fear. Often, I have found certain beliefs I hold–even though based on valid experiences–have imprisoned me. When I become willing to stop my story long enough to look up, I discover that I, in fact, was freed long ago.
The eagle in this story is so fixated on his captors that he does not realize he is free. What am I so fixated on that it blocks my ability to see another option? What do I hold so dearly to be true that I attach myself to the experience? What am I so invested in that I will not let it go?
Whatever it is, Science of Mind assures us it is not immune to Truth, and the Truth is always an open trapdoor to freedom. All the eagle needed to do was step away from the bars and look up. All we need to do is step back from the issues that restrict us and look up. In our teaching, we call this a spiritual practice. I do it daily because for every cage, there is always a door.
