The Meaning Of Love from Eagle Conservation
Photo by EKO PRASTYO - Own Work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Hyperlink
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We spent four days at the Javan Hawk-Eagle Conservation, located in the Gunung Halimun Salak area, taking part in various activities. We took part in a range of activities, from presentations to hands-on learning in the great outdoors. I went through all of this with a rollercoaster of emotions—joy, sadness, anger, and exhaustion—one after another.
Despite the emotional and physical toll, this journey really opened our eyes to the importance of life in maintaining ecosystem balance, which we hadn't really considered before. During the activities, I spent a lot of time observing and reflecting. When I got back, I had one main takeaway.
I had a chat with a keeper named Aka Surya. He said that the main goal of this conservation effort is to get eagles, which used to be tame and familiar with humans, to be wild, independent, and afraid of us again. His explanation really resonated with me and shifted my understanding of love and care.
Often, we misunderstand love and care. We think it means protecting someone from all harm, like "rolling out a red carpet" to shield them from every danger. The truth is, true love is about helping someone become self-reliant—able to survive, make their own decisions, and eventually become independent of us.
Eagles are meant to soar high, become the pinnacle of the ecosystem's food chain, and reign as kings of the skies. We should let eagles live in their natural habitat, not capture, cage, or feed them just because we think we're caring for them.
Love is about putting things in their rightful place. Just like eagles, humans have a purpose—to serve Allah and obey His laws. True love is expressed in line with His rules, not driven by our desires.