Brian’s Reflection: Thursday, February 26, 2009

Be like the bird that, passing on her flight awhile
on boughs too slight, feels them give way beneath
her, and yet sings, knowing that she hath wings.

- Victor Hugo, author, poet, dramatist, born on this
day, 1802


Victor Hugo also said, “A faith is a necessity to a (wo)man. Woe to him (her) who believes in nothing.” “Faith” could be anything, of course. But whatever it is, it must be Life-affirming. It can be a philosophy. A belief. A religion. A dream. A Vision. A Hope.

These are what give us wings. I think of the Gospel parable about building one’s house on sand or on solid rock. We human beings have a great penchant for choosing sand, choosing idols in which we put or trust – and like the “boughs too slight” they eventually give way. As a World society, we have put our trust yet again on the idol of Money – and we all are finding that idol disintegrating before our eyes, in the form of a collapsing World economy. Cries of pain are everywhere.

But those who have built their house on rock discover that when the sand flushes away, they are able to sing. They rise on wings of “faith”.

If you lack one, find a Life-affirming faith. Life is rife with “boughs too slight” to get us through this very challenging Mystery.

Brian+