Predator or Protector
Gott’s Thoughts
There are two kinds of people in the world: those who believe that things can be divided into two unique groups and those who don’t. I am not a big fan of dichotomies but sometimes they can be useful. Lately I have been reflecting on two words, predator and protector. I have seen both of these at work in the world the last few weeks. Here’s what I mean by these two ideas. A predator is one who meets their own needs by preying on others, taking what they can to ensure their own survival or existence. A protector is one who ensures that others have what they need by giving of their surplus. A predator lives out of a mindset of scarcity, believing that only the strong survive. They must make sure that, no matter the consequences, that their needs and wants are met at any cost. A protector lives out of a mindset of abundance, believing that if we work together there is enough to go around for everyone.
The truth is we are both of these at times. We have a natural inclination for self-preservation. Everyone wants their own needs to be met. The choice is how we go about doing that. When we live out of a spirit of fear and insecurity, our selfish nature kicks in and we start seeing others as threats and enemies. Our predator nature takes over. However, when we live out of a spirit of love and compassion, we find mutually beneficial ways to come together for the common good. As a protector, we seek to serve others, seeing them as extended family. We see that we are all connected and that taking care of each other is a way to take care of ourselves.
It must be said that on singular resources or items, there are finite amounts. We only have so much water, only so much oil, only so much gold, and so on. But if we change our perspective, we can see that when we work together, history teaches us that we are a creative and resourceful human race. We can find ways to overcome just about any obstacle. One barrier that seriously threatens us is our fear of “not enough”. However, we are our strongest when we work to overcome that fear and choose to live in synergistic interdependence with each other. In the worst of times, we may not always be able to meet our wants, but striving together, we can always find a way to meet our needs. It is a major paradox: by taking and hoarding what we believe we need; we create scarcity and inequity. By sharing our resources so that all benefit, we gain strength, wholeness, and unity. Maybe that’s what was meant by the five loaves and two fishes.