Clever Fox

Good-bye Fox, by Mary Oliver

He was lying under a tree, licking up the shade,

Hello again, Fox, I said.

And hello to you too, said Fox, looking up and not bounding away.

You’re not running away? I said.

Well, I’ve heard of your conversation about us. News travels even among foxes, as you might know or not know.

What conversation do you mean?

Some lady said to you, “The hunt is good for the fox.” And you said, “Which fox?”

Yes, I remember. She was huffed.

So you’re okay in my book.

Your book! That was in my book, that’s the difference between us.

Yes, I agree. You fuss over life with your clever words, mulling and chewing on its meaning, while we just live it.

Oh!

Could anyone figure it out, to a finality? So why spend so much time trying. You fuss, we live. 

And he stood, slowly, for he was old now, and ambled away.

Clever Fox, by The Rev. Nancy E. Gossling

Have you ever noticed how certain animals get a bad rap? We hunt the foxes, cheering on the hounds that chase them, as we gallop after them on our sturdy and powerful horses. We bemoan the foxes in our hen houses, who steal the eggs, cutting lives off at the embryo. We do not call them smart or intelligent or clever, just sly. That’s Fox news.

Mary Oliver gets it. Creation and God’s creatures teach us humans how to live. Just this past week our clergy group, recently ordained and the wise old veterans who are their mentors, were invited to write aspirational sentences about our priestly identity. We fussed over our words, how to describe who we are, and what we’re about.

Can anyone figure it out? So why spend so much time fussing over our vocations, where words and the meaning of life are central. Why fuss? Why not just live it? Clever fox!