“Scala Naturae” by The Collection
Reflection
“Scala Naturae,” the Great Chain of Being, is the idea of that there is a fixed hierarchical order to all things. It starts at the top with God, then angels, humans, animals, plants, and minerals. This thinking was prominent in medieval times and justified the strict class system of feudalism. Darwin and his ideas on evolution broke the Great Chain of Being in the scientific world, yet we still operate our lives with principles from the Great Chain of Being, often to our detriment.
The main principal we unconsciously use is to categorize items in distinct, non-overlapping groups (e.g. male/female). While this is often helpful, these categories are seldom as discrete as we think. For instance, there is much more that men and women have in common than separates us. Yet our insistence to focus on differences puts unrealistic expectations on both groups. I still feel shame for being an emotional man because that’s a “feminine quality” and I’m operating outside the male category or architype. Worse than that, we often order the categories in a hierarchy, like the Great Chain of Being, and then prejudice becomes justified in our minds. Many churches view men as higher than women and thus exclude women from leadership roles and from having the voice they are due. The racism still prevalent in our country started with the belief that white people were higher than Black people. Society views heterosexual, cisgender people as higher than our LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters so the hate and discrimination against them persist.
But I don’t believe all the things that I did
When me and mine lived all the places we live
It’s ok, baby, to change what you think
Change can be good, no, it don’t make you weak
Tears are brought to my eyes every time I listen to “Scala Naturae.” Maybe it’s not the actual Great Chain of Being that we cling to and let pollute our thinking, but we all have chains that are holding us back. This beautiful song brings back pain and regret from my past, but also hope and joy in how far I’ve grown. My views on Christianity held me back for years. I believed in God and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, but I still operated with the idea of God watching over everything I did just waiting for me to screw up. This prevented me from fully loving God and loving others. I believed that mental illness was something to be ashamed of and this chain held me back from being open about my depression and anxiety and getting the treatment I needed to thrive.
Lent is a time to reflect on the brokenness in the world and the brokenness in ourselves. There are many chains still holding me back, most I don’t even recognize as chains yet. We all need to look inside ourselves to see what untrue thoughts, what hierarchies of worth, still pollute our lives. Are we willing to change what we think? Are we willing to break the chains holding us from loving God and loving others more fully? I hope so, because every chain that I have left behind has brought me greater peace and closer to God.
Links
Lyrics
I was born and then orphaned by parents of sin
And the preachers and pastors were listening in
I was baptized with water the day it happened
Now I’m leaving my chains all behind
So they called up the neighbors to tell them the news
A young baby child that the world can abuse
I cried, and I cried, and they called it a ruse
Now I’m leaving my chains all behind
I had realized the night for the day I turned seven
That even if acting nice could get you to heaven
The Earth that you live in will treat you like hell
So I’m leaving my chains all behind
Now, I remember sadly the youth of my day
The minute they found out young Jacob was gay
They stoned him with words and they stuck him with trees
Now I’m leaving my chains all behind
Then I got to the age when I thought I was a man
And I wondered when we’d learn the grand master plan
But what if the plan is just to live till you die?
Well, then I’m leaving my chains all behind
Then you brought me a woman right into my life
And we found out that love is full of heartache and strife
But the jagged edges wear down the more that they grind
So now I'm leaving my chains all behind
But I don’t believe all the things that I did
When me and mine lived all the places we live
It’s ok, baby, to change what you think
Change can be good, no, it don’t make you weak
Someday you’ll grow to a beautiful tree:
How I want to sing under your leaves
Now I’m in my twenties, and I'm finding my way
You pay for your work, and you work for your pay
If I live, or I die, at least there’s love either way
Yeah, I’m leaving my chains all behind
So bring all your lepers and your blind men to see
There’s a love in our bodies, and it won’t let you be
If you open your hands, it’ll set us all free
Now I’m leaving my chains all behind
If he comes through the clouds, it could set us all free
Now I’m leaving my chains all behind
Yeah we're leaving our chains all behind