God Watches, Helpless

I was listening to an interview on Television regarding the works of the deceased author, Jennifer Lash, who wrote "Blood Ties".

One of her daughters read an excerpt from one of her mother's novels (I did not catch the title).

In the passage, some people enter into an abandoned church. A large white owl has become trapped inside the church. As they watch, it frantically flies back and forth, dashing itself into the walls.

There are holes in the roof which would afford an escape, but the owl is too panicked to find them. The woman in the church who recounts this scene cannot bear to stay and watch the owl destroy itself while they stand by, helpless, watching.

Later in the day, that woman recollects the scene, and thinks to herself, "Suppose the SOUL is like that owl, trapped in the mind, dashing itself frantically, injuring itself, destroying itself. There are exits, escapes, ways out, but the soul cannot see them. And God watches helplessly (I suppose because of the inviolable sanctity of the soul's free will). What anguish might that be for God, watching?"