I watched this Magpie Robin for about fifteen minutes in the lawn of MOSC Medical College own the eve of the new year 2021. It moved from place to place and remained still in between with a vigilance that surprised me. Ther were other birds in the vicinity.
As the Magpie Robin moved from place to place all the time vigilant and positioning itself to have a full view of all the birds scattered in the lawn, I was taken back by its intentional effort to place itself in a comfort zone for itself! Usually Magpie Robins are homely birds found near human dwellings and therefore used to avian movements and cacophony.
Why was this Magpie Robin hypervigilant!
It was when I took a closer look at the other birds who too were moving about in the lawn, I I realised why the Magpie Robin was perhaps unsettled! It was the evening time and all the other birds were searching for their last meal. Their movements in the ground were for their feed.
The movements of the Magpie Robin signalled fear or displacement as it remained confined to one corner of the lawn all the time. It's movement beyond that corner was not possible as the other birds had occupied a larger space.
As I welcome the year 2021, there are some messages this sight brings to my attention.
We work and live among others. There can be a congestion for space as others according to their status or position can occupy larger space and displace a few to the margins. That is when those who are forced to stay in the margins can feel threatened or displaced.
But learn from the magpie Robin. It found a vantage position for its overview of the situation in the loop of a cable on the ground. It had a 360 degree view of the lawn and placed itself in a safe position without giving up because of the dominance of the other birds.
I felt encouraged to receive this message on the eve of the new year. I have felt less needed or valued in the place where I work now because the department is not economically viable. All my efforts did not seem to have made the department financially viable at the end of eight years. It is attributed by some to my 'inability' or 'skill'.
I had hoped that the department would have become financially viable at the end of seven years, which was what happened at CMC Vellore when I was asked to set up a Developmental Paediatrics department in partnership with ASHIRVAD. The Memorandum of Understanding with ASHIRVAD gave me much flexibility, which would not have been possible, if it was just a department of CMC Vellore fully owned by it, as the administration could not have been able to make departure from the institutional policies to give room for lateral thinking for a department which took care of children, who needed help all the time for rehabilitation. The services had to be extended to many who were not in a position to afford the hospital fees, if the service was inclusive in its approach and scope.
I wish I had sought for a partnership with ASHIRVAD, when I was getting involved in this current initiative, in order to have an advantage of flexibility and freedom to plan according to the special situation on account of the long term needs of children!
I have felt 'trapped' for the last one year. I am unable to leave as the initiative would suffer and might disintegrate. I do not feel like continuing as the feed back is that 'it is not a successful department'. Most of it is attributed to my deficits in overseeing the department. I wish the administration would have been open enough to see the slips in its part on critical times, when they differed support or stopped us from going forward to develop the facility to a level of what is required for a 'higher specialty' to survive. Every three years we had a 'project report' with an audit of services submitted to the administration, in order to guide us for the journey ahead. Fortunately a corporate firm came forward to support financially during the last two years to augment the income. To me it was an affirmation of trust when I encountered trust deficit.
I had two visitors yesterday from the institution, who spoke about a perception of the department among a few administrators. 'Occupying large space but not bringing enough income' and not 'having a high profile'. I was not surprised to hear that as I was told the same a few months back by an administrator.
So, here I am seeing the Magpie Robin confined to a corner, limited in its movements and restrained by what is all round. The other birds have larger space, freedom and access to what they need. They exist and move about freely with the dominance it can exert.
This is the movement in life that one would come across. Those who make themselves visible and appear strong would occupy larger space.
But I live hoping that a candle too has its place in a well lit house with bright lights. The candle is a symbol of something small but good enough to shed light on a table at meal time or in a hut or a room. The yeast put into the dough is small, but it is significant enough to be ignored. I regather my vision for the future because smallness too is a virtue.
I have six months before my current contract expires. I shall do my part to explore the financial stability for the department.
The first project of ASHIRVAD, the Christian Concern for Child Care in 1983 was establishing a Child Development Centre at Chennai. It was the first Child Development Centre in India at that time. It flourished. It went on to establish ASHA school for children with special needs at St Andrew's Church, Early Learning Centre at Nagpur, Developmental Paediatrics Unit at CMC Vellore. At none of the times of these developments ASHIRVAD had financial resources of its won. It came from friends who cared and trusted. The last 38 years was a journey of 'looking unto God' and finding ourselves 'provided for'. When the corporate firm came forward in 2019 to trust us with a monthly grant for the department where I work now, when I was feeling emotionally drained by the messages of trust deficit from other quarters, I knew that being in the position of a Magpie Robin is normal and it too shall receive its provisions.
The year 2021 is a year of a new horizon. The advantage a displaced or cornered Magpie Robin is its option to fly out to a place of its choice. It fascinated me that during the time that I watched it, it moved in its pace and did not fly away. It's staying power was a message of hope.
Do I have that staying power! I live with that question. Or do I continue to live and work with the collision of intents or fly out to a situation where there is an alignment of intents!
Thank you Magpie Robin. On the new year eve, you brought food to my soul like the raven who brought food to Elijah at Kedron!
Elijah's was an example of Intentional Presence at Kedron Valley even amidst difficult circumstance. One day the brook dried up and the raven stopped coming with bread!. It was then he was guided to go the a widow at Zarephath to find his food (1Kings 17: 8-16). He needed food to fulfil his call. But finding food was not his mission. It was God's in order that Elijah's could fulfil all that was left for him to do thereafter!
What a rest giving thought!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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