Common Loon : Living on the Edge
Common Loon
This is a Common Loon. I was standing at the very tip of a small island in the middle of a river. The river is dammed against flooding, and it allows this little islet to poke up. I spotted him as he emerged from the steam rising off the water. He barely skimmed the surface, creating twin splashes when his wingtips went down a touch too far. Loons are rarities here, a definite surprise. And I marveled as he flew, thinking of the way he finds the edge, right at the juxtaposition of air and water. It’s a liminal space, filled with tension but seemingly navigable for this confident flyer. And I could stand on my island, also at the intersection of air and water, because of the dam just yards away, exposed to constant tension but able to hold the waters at bay.
The story of Noah’s Ark has something for everyone. Probably no Biblical story resonates more with children, who joyously hear it as God’s Petting Zoo - which really does seem great. Historians and skeptics have (endless) debate fodder and can argue about dinosaurs and lions. And people of faith can find comfort in the rainbow’s promise of God’s enduring love and protection. For myself, Noah is a story of tension, tension between peril and resilience. The Ark literally navigates between the flood and the re-establishment of all life on the planet. The raven and the dove provide Noah with guidance on his journey from a reactive to a proactive stance. Life’s emergence from the Ark is the first step, really a bold leap, into the liminal space.
In so many meaningful ways, we all continue to live in these liminal spaces. We skim along the edge between perils - psychological, financial, spiritual - and resilience. And the choice we make is what form our Ark will take. Some retreat into the false safety of drugs or alcohol. Others lean in to their families, wider community, and God. As we navigate these spaces, can we remember we aren’t alone? That we aren’t “the rarity” that in some way doesn’t belong here? There will inevitably be instances of minor splashes along the way. But the lesson of this Loon, and of Noah navigating the flood, is that we do emerge: protected, empowered, and entrusted to build a new and better world. May this lesson give us all strength.