Greater Roadrunner : A Joyful… Worm?

This is a Greater Roadrunner. Yes, yes he early got the worm…. But seriously, on a rainy day which pushes bugs up towards the surface, he dug around a bit and got what he needed for sustenance to begin the day. And that’s no small thing. The animal world is a continual challenge, a battle between calories ingested and calories expended to secure them. And this bird was successful. I won’t go so far as to say that he was joyful as a result of his meal, but perhaps there is a certain measure of animal-context satisfaction at securing food that would in human terms have a psychological analog. Does a bird experience feelings associated with finding food? Or is it solely mechanical instinct? It’s a fascinating question.

Jewish tradition is comprehensive in the way that it acknowledges both the spiritual and material facets of our life. The joy that we feel is recognized as an integral part of human need, and from the esoteric to the most physical, we are taught ways to seek and to experience joy. Ours is by no means an ascetic tradition or one given to deprivation. We drink wine to experience its joyful influence, and wine is also the demarcating symbol which separates the holy from the profane. Our mitzvot, our Divine commandments on how to live daily life, are considered our joyous obligations and the foundation of personal enrichment. Shabbat’s traditional welcome is the ultimate union of physical and spiritual joy.

I frequently focus in on what I call the gating issue. What is the one thing that keeps us from being where we want? To be how we want. To be what we want. Is there something that we’re missing - or something that we have that we wish we didn’t? These gating issues are what stand between us in our current state and the state of joyful fulfillment that we’d like to attain. Again our tradition is holistic and incorporates counsel and rules designed to shape a life that leads to joyful fulfillment. It is often a struggle. The most learned and observant still wrestle. But there is a path, and we can walk it and arrive where we want to go. The Roadrunner - up early - found its worm. So too our tradition can lead us to where we need to be.