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I came across this very important word in an article about a scientist who was asking a very big question: How and why did most of the tribes of the world come to believe that their scratchy and mostly inhospitable homes were created by an unseen presence – a God, or Gods. And why did they invest so much of their time, energy and scant edibles on this somewhat abstract connection?

The scientist guessed that before we could think about invisible gods in the clouds we had to be able to see the tiger hiding in the bush. He told this little anecdote to explain this evolutionary advancement: A long, long time ago two humans, we’ll call them Ivy and Mum, were walking in the wilds. Suddenly Ivy stopped and pointed at a dense thicket just ahead. “Stop! Tiger!” Ivy whispered. “What tiger?” Mum asked. “See that leaf, how it quivers,” Ivy answered, pointing to the left, and then to the right. “See that cat tail, how it shakes?—Tiger”. “Where you see this Tiger? Ivy pointed at the thicket again, “I see Tiger there,” and then she pointed at her fore head. “And I see Tiger here.” “I see no Tiger, there is no Tiger!” Mum huffed, and then walked on down the trail… and into the jaws of a hungry—wolf!” Close enough. Ivy hurried back home where she and her mate raised an army of boys and girls who had one trait in common: they all pointed at their forehead as they envisioned the wheel, fire, flight, God, and eventually jazz.

Today, this word, this evolutionary gift, that helped the human family to rise, survive and thrive seems to have doubled back upon itself.

Today, too many in our human family insist on seeing connections and meaning in things and events that are not really there, giving rise to delusional thinking and crazy-dangerous conspiracy theories.

Sadly, instead of using our amazing gifts and computational capabilities to meet the challenges of the climate crisis, or to cure cancer, I have seen too many fall into their blinking screens, looking for rogue laser beams and cannibals in the White House. What a waste!

But, I have also witnessed two, gifted, young musicians, breath into my painting, connect the disparate pieces, and then raise a vivid temple where we can all go to meditate, and hopefully visualize, our way out of this shadowy thicket.

I am hopeful!

We still have Art!

Thanks to all!