Chicken Community

Earlier this past week I attempted to do something absolutely crazy. Something that, if it was successful, would have been wildly enjoyed by my community: Placing a harness around one of our hens, and taking her for a walk. I actually mentioned this to a baritone voiced neighbor of mine as well as a few others and the general reaction was intense joyful laughter, but at the same time full acceptance & approval of this novel idea.  I seem to remember the discussion being very entertaining and lasting several minutes because it dove into  fairly developed “what-if” scenarios, and inspiring others to maybe do the same.  Maybe. Sadly the idea failed, because the test subject (hen #1) kept walking backwards  ducking her head down low - thinking it was underneath something. Hilarious as it was however, the failure was not without some very cool observations that hinted at “community”. 

While these useful creatures have been heavily domesticated for thousands of years, they haven’t made the leap to a harness and leash for a Sunday stroll through the neighborhood. Perhaps with some training at the “chick” stage of life, it may be more successful - alas, you can’t teach an old hen new tricks.

These hens that are in our care have a pretty good life: they lay in the cool shade, have food, and water provided to them regularly, they bathe in dust, scratch at the earth and look for tasty-creepy-crawlers.  They have ample outdoor space to explore and run and return the favor of all this provision through the very natural process of laying eggs. Chickens of the grocery store variety would be immensely jealous...if they had a brain bigger than a chicken.

So, this concept of community that I mentioned was demonstrated by some unseen sisterhood amongst these birds. While the harness was in place, the other birds rallied around the “test subject” and pecked at the harness from several angles. It honestly looked like they wanted to remove their friend from this seemingly oppressive device. Interesting.  A community of birds not biologically related, gathering together, to remove another’s burden - without any knowledge of religion, science, faith, or organized labor. They simply saw something that wasn’t normal (affecting their companion) and made a concerted effort to remove it. 

And this is why I’m on sabbatical - - - to make anthropological observations on chickens living in urban settings under apparently oppressive devices...

Maybe community can be learned from these birds: each different, each clucking along in a simple way. Maybe if I continue to simplify my life, continue to remove the excess I like to hold on to, and learn to operate in a more practical way that efficiently uses the “things” and “gifts” I already have...perhaps community living would become more natural. Maybe I’d even live a life that demonstrates compassion toward my community: helping them carry their uncomfortable and sometimes painful burdens...maybe this is the community Christ talks about.

This passed week our nation experienced a situation that drove many people toward various communities to discuss the trial of George Zimmerman and the death of Trayvon Martin.  Within these communities, I haven’t found any shortage of ideas, opinions, feelings or even blame on either side of the camp.  Even in my own community circles I read polarizing comments that were tossed around on various social feeds and news sites, which had me dig into my own core and consider what I think and feel about all this. 

Overall, it seems to me that this hotly debated issue is a complicated one for our diverse American society, because (to me) it seems that empathizing with another person from another class, generation, or skin color is something Americans are still learning how to do.  Looking back on my own life growing up in a white middle-class structured family, at a predominately white middle-class structured church and private school, and working through white middle-class problems, I think I viewed those with home/work/family/school/other problems as simply needing to buck up, stay in school, and work hard. After performing this formula things will be okay - because that is what I/we did, and eventually everything was quite okay.

On the other hand, living in my present community, I am the racial, class, and social minority. As a result, I’ve had to work at seeing life through a different lens, otherwise I’d be stuck making complaints about things that are different from my way of operating.  After sharing 11 1/2 years on this block with this community, I’ve learned that the ability to empathize means to reconcile the misunderstandings I’ve grown up with regarding any culture that isn’t my own. It seems to be working, because I can honestly say that I enjoy my community, and I believe my community enjoys having me (perhaps the reader should investigate this theory by asking my neighbors).  

Going back to this awful tragedy with Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman, the Christian reality (as I understand it) is that an image of God has been killed. And, another image of God has to walk the rest of his life living with that fateful night as the one who killed some one else.  The ripple effects go even further to a mother and father, who lost their child and now are recoiling in desperate ways to find comfort.  In a Christian Catholic community, it really is our responsibility to buck up and help carry the burdens of those afflicted.  That is what Christ has done for us, and we are his body called to do the same for those around us - even if they are strangers in another class, race, religion political affiliation, pro/anti gun control, or whatever philosophy they hold too. Remove those “oppressive harnesses” is something that we can do through empathy, care, and compassion.

There are many Trayvon’s and George’s in my life. Each battling through a situation that is unique to them.  The next step is, do I want to be the community member wanting to help carry that burden, when it would be easier to criticize them for the way they carry it?