Dark-eyed Junco : Everything in Context

Dark-eyed Junco

This is a Dark-eyed Junco.  The junco is one of the most populous birds in North America.  Estimates say that there are over 600 million of them, and they’re found nearly everywhere in the United States.  Yet I dare say that many (most?) people are unfamiliar with them.  These birds disappear into the background scenery of the unknown and unnoticed.  Visually, this photo improves on the naked eye by offering close-up detail and the opportunity to study.  But what about emotionally?  What creates an emotional connection is the proximity between photographer and subject.  The closeness to the bird also implies a closeness to the photographer, creating a sense of empathy and shared space.  We stand together.

The Bible relates how Miriam, Moses’s sister, is punished for speaking ill of the relationship between Moses and his wife.  In many ways this episode seems uncharacteristic.  Miriam is a woman of exceptional merit, whose leadership, bravery, and innate worth make her a model to emulate.  So how to explain this situation?  We don’t know all the details of course, but perhaps a contributing factor is Miriam’s failure to be sufficiently empathetic.  Perhaps Miriam’s criticism derived from insufficient facts and awareness.  What if Moses simply had more context for his decision, context that Miriam hadn’t received.  Moses’s anguished plea to God to heal Miriam certainly implies more a misunderstanding than any actual animus.

We always, inescapably, make decisions in a state of uncertainty.  We never have all the facts.  Moreover, time pressures frequently create timelines between studying and acting that are misaligned.  So errors are inevitable.  Poor choices are guaranteed to occur.  How we react to them - our own and others’ mistakes - is the relevant exploration.  Do we indulge hindsight and castigate choices that failed?  Or do we remain conscious of the environment at the time and show grace towards people making the best decision they could with the facts at the time within the space they had available?  Empathetic closeness, connection, comes when we remain aware of context and our own similarity to the Junco’s photographer and Miriam.