Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains;
your judgments are like the great deep;
you save humans and animals alike, O Lord.
How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
O continue your steadfast love to those who know you
and your salvation to the upright of heart!
Psalm 36:5-10 NRSVue
This past Sunday the gospel passage told the story of the baptism of Jesus and wrapped up with a dove that descends from the heavens, a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. When I hear that story now the provocative little book When God Was a Bird: Christianity, Animism, and the Re-Enchantment of the World by Mark Wallace comes to mind. There is a heading in the first chapter, The Pigeon God, and with this a reminder that a dove by another name is a pigeon and that all the gospels give this account with the imagery of this rather common bird as God declares that He/She/They is well pleased with Jesus as Beloved Child.
The daily psalm this morning offers verses from Psalm 36: 5-10 which celebrate the God of steadfast love (mentioned three times) who is present in the heavens and the earth and in all living things. God's salvation is for humans and creatures alike -- all of Creation. And do you notice that we are promised shelter beneath God's wings.
As something of a bird nerd who delights in the flutter of a chickadees wings and the whoosh of wind through a swan's pinions this enchanted imagery speaks powerfully to me. In truth I figure that if humanity doesn't undergo a "back to the future" conversion, reconnecting and reclaiming a sense of the communion of saints that includes all living things we are in peril. I'm grateful for these scripture reminders and many more that tell this truth of God's steadfast, redeeming love if we have eyes to see and ears to hear. Shall we "re-pigeon" our Christian faith?!
Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
Luke 3:21-22 NRSVue
Peter Paul Rubens. Baptism of the Lord, oil on canvas, 1605.
2 comments:
I have seen several photos recently of adult birds covering their young with open wings and feathers spread, to protect the wee ones from rain... I immediately thought of this passage from the Psalms!
You have a skilled bird photographer in your family circle, Judy. Who knows what he has in his repertoire that would fit the bill...or beak?
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