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August 28th.
2007
CANOEING
As the canoe pulled one way
and then the other I almost laughed out loud. It had been a long time
since the Lovely Mrs. Prior and I had spent time canoeing…and maybe for
good reason.
With our obvious weight difference it made sense for her to be in the
bow of the boat and for me to be in the stern. I, like literally
hundreds of other young people from across our diocese, learned the fine
art of the “J” stroke and the “C” stroke and all other things canoe from
Fr. Ernie Campbell at Camp Cross. As such, even though a fair bit of
time has past since my last canoe outing, admittedly I have an “it’s
like riding a bike” attitude about my canoeing abilities.
Setting out on our journey, I began by suggesting to my fellow oarsman
which side of the boat to paddle on. This recommendation was heeded and
the boat began to glide across the early morning still waters. Then
without warning, in what appear to be an apparent attempt at mutiny the
Lovely Mrs. Prior began to row randomly on whatever side of the boat
that suited her fancy. Quickly, I began to instruct her on the errors of
her ways, yet to know avail as she fired back, “You’re steering, adjust
accordingly!”
Pulling my paddle out of the water all I could do was smile. Could there
be a more pronounced metaphor for how we often maneuver the currents of
our lives. An individual or group thinks that the clear direction to
steer the boat is one way all the while others believe another route is
clearly more desirable.
And therein lies the moment of truth: How do we respond? Do we try to
muscle or manipulate the course we want to take? Do we give up and quit
paddling? Or do we abandon the ship? When we are completely honest, all
of these options have their own appeal.
As I put my paddle back in the water and the Lovely Mrs. Prior and I
began to communicate better, which led to us working better together,
the canoe smoothly moved to our destination.
Oh the life, faith and community lessons you can learn from an early
morning canoe ride…
Blessings,
The Rev. Brian N. Prior, Rector
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