A Cricket Keeping Common Time

Decades ago, as a younger man, I had an indifference to many creatures, and some I loathed.  As I have grown older, and hopefully have increased in faith, I have developed a greater and increasing appreciation for all of God’s creatures.  Now, as I walk through my property, I bless the animals that I see on any given path.

Birds, dogs, and cats all have voices and vocalizations — they vary greatly.  I have become somewhat attune to two of my dogs’ vocabularies.  I can discern a few meanings by now:  “the food bowl is empty,” “water is needed”, and “I need to go out” stand out among other messages.  The variety of bird songs and voices also have wonderful variations.  Finches, pine siskens, and junkoes are the more vocal of the all the species I encounter.  During summer evenings one of the species (or maybe all three) have “chat times” that are quite remarkable.  They assemble in a tree and sound like a choir!  (My anthropomorphic interpretation is that they are discussing their days and sharing news before their night’s sleep.)  There is a musical quality to God’s singers and musicians.  Even a psalmist has commented on this:

Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself where she may lay her young at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.  Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! (Psalm 84 / 83: 3 – 4).

Abbey Road Cover

During late July, 2023 while visiting my mother in southeastern Washington, I slept on her couch with a window open to let in the cool evening air.  After a few moments, I heard the sound of a cricket, or similar insect.  God’s tiny percussionist was keeping perfect common (4/4) time at a rate of 100 beats per minute.   A metronome could not do better, and the tone of the beat held was certainly superior to the mechanical quality of  such a devise.I recorded its “beat” twice, the first for about 3.5 minutes duration, and the second for just over five minutes.  My intention is to use it as a natural metronome, and even use it as a background for a future composition.  Though any work of my own would never be of the quality of the cricket included on the Beatles’ “Sun King” found on Abbey Road, I will do my best to honor this cricket’s musicianship.

With this appreciation of the cricket’s perfect keeping of common time, I hope that  I and all of the faithful in Christ can see the potential (and need) for harmonic interactive relationships with all of God’s creatures and creation.  This hope isn’t based upon some sappy sentiment.  Somewhere, Saint Paisios noted that as holiness increases in one’s life a love for all of God’s creatures increases — to the point of birds and animals will be drawn to a saintly presence (I think of St Blaise, St Seraphim of Sarov, and St Francis).  I also have this hope because as we move through the perilous times in which we now find ourselves we will be able to show love, extend peace, give thanks, and live in solidarity with all and all things.  By living in this manner we will be sanctifying the world to the glory of God.

In Christ, and someday in perfect common time,

Fr Irenaeus