Day 3: Shipping the Oars

A Week of Drifting · Day 3 of 7

The story. The Little Flowers of St. Francis tells of a day when Francis and Brother Masseo reached a crossroads. One road ran to Siena, one to Florence, one to Arezzo. Francis told Masseo to spin around on the spot like a child, and to keep spinning until he was told to stop. Masseo spun until he was dizzy and fell. He was facing Siena. To Siena they went.

The reflection. It sounds like a game, and Masseo certainly felt foolish. But Francis was teaching him to let go of the steering, and to do it with his whole body. The oars we hold are not only plans and calendars. They are also the small, constant reaching: the phone in the pocket, the errand squeezed in, the quiet hope that this time will turn out to be useful.

Shipping the oars means setting those down for a while. Not forever. Just for the length of your little boat. You are not resting so that you can be more productive later. You are not thinking through a problem. You are simply here, with nothing to accomplish.

Today’s invitation. Look for a waiting time today: a line, a waiting room, the minutes before a meeting starts, the pause while the kettle boils. Instead of reaching for your phone, make that time your coracle. Say the six words. Let your eyes wander where they will. If you notice yourself reaching for something to fill the time, simply notice it, and let your hands rest.

A question to carry. Which oar is hardest for you to put down?

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