Great Horned Owl : The Prophet’s Trail

This is a Great Horned Owl. They’re nocturnal, so a daytime spotting requires great good luck or a birder’s help. I had heard an owl’s call early on my trek, but I harbored no expectation of seeing him - particularly as I was on trails I didn’t know. Late in the day, an old man popped out of the woods. He was dressed wrong for bushwhacking, had no binoculars or camera, and looked just a little… odd. He immediately offered to show me an owl - taking an iffy trail that looked equal parts snake habitat and the setting for a murder-mystery. But for an owl? After getting my photos, I turned to thank him, but he was gone.

Much of Jewish tradition comes to us from the Prophets. These men and women have passed along a wide variety of divinely inspired messages. Sometimes their words were rebukes, other times promises of consolation, and some are harbingers of future events. The common element was their role as messengers; each was a conduit for more than their own speech. In our modern age, we would surely look askance at someone claiming the insights of prophecy. That era is ended. Or perhaps simply paused. Explanations run the gamut, but of course it’s impossible to be certain.

To be clear: The old man wasn’t a prophet, nor was the owl a revelation. Sometimes a bird is just a bird. And yet. My lived experienced convinces me that conduits and messages do exist. What is overlooked in the maelstrom of daily life can be discerned in the quiet of the woods. A “still, small voice” is easier to hear to when we are internally silent. My mind tells me that appointed prophets belong to a prior age, and I profoundly believe in HaShem’s continuing presence in our lives, offering direction and inspiration no less than in ancient times. So when you hear your Owl, know that a trail to it exists - you just have to look.