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| Image by Peter Prokosch |
A GREETING
You are indeed my rock and my fortress; for your name’s sake lead me and guide me.
(Psalm 31:3)
A READING
For God says: “I will rescue you from the snare, and shield you from poisoned arrows. I will cover you with my pinions; under my wings you will take refuge; my faithfulness will shield you. You have no need to fear the prowlers of the night or the arrow that flies by day, the plague that lurks in the shadows or the scourge that stalks at noon. Because you have made me your refuge and have me as your stronghold, no evil will befall you, and no disaster will come near your tent.
(Psalm 91:2-6; 9-10 TIB)
MUSIC
A MEDITATIVE VERSE
I am like an owl of the wilderness, like a little owl of the waste places.
I lie awake; I am like a lonely bird on the housetop.
(Psalm 102:6-7)
A POEM
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers…
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination…
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
- from Owls and Other Fantasies: Poems and Essays,
by Mary Oliver
VERSE OF THE DAY
Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
(Isaiah 40:31)
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| "The Enchanted Owl" by Kenojuak Ashevak |
In today’s reading, we are told that God’s reassuring protection is like the wings of a large bird, an image that Jesus echoes when he stands looking over Jerusalem and compares himself to a mother hen aching for her brood (Luke 13). The longing of Jesus is the same as that of the Psalmist — that we may be protected from the “snare of the fowler”, which we can hear as not only that which threatens our wellbeing, but the wellbeing of our relationship with God. But what if we are the 'fowler', setting the snares, knowingly or not? Raptors and birds of prey are considered by scientists as an indicator of the overall ecological health of environments: they bear the brunt of changes that affect habitats and the food chain. Right now, some species of owl, including the snowy owl, have been identified as “vulnerable”, a categorization that indicates that their numbers are declining. Increased rainfall and general warming in the Arctic (the breeding ground of the snowy owl) have meant a flooding of nests and a starvation of lemmings, a principal source of food for growing owls. Over the course of human history, birds of prey and particularly raptors, have been the subject of our projected imagination, embodying that which we cherish or deeply fear. Raptors have an uneasy place in scripture too: while the image of ‘eagle’s wings’ is comforting, most references to them are less so. The owl appears in scripture in association with deep loss, sorrow, desolation and solitude (Isaiah 34:15; Zephaniah 2:14). Banished as unclean by Leviticus 11, it became a frequenter of the wastelands. Because of its banished status and haunting cry, it became associated with omens and negative spirits. The shift to viewing the bird as a respected and revered symbol of wisdom began in Ancient Greece with its association with the goddess Athena. By contrast, in Indigenous spirituality, owls have always been spirit guides, with the capacity to see in the dark, revealing knowledge that is hidden and providing companionship through transition and change. Yesterday, we saw how Indigenous-led conservation leads to a better understanding and relationship to the land and its creatures. How can we be inspired by that wisdom to improve the future of creatures who were made alongside us? What needs to change in our way of thinking, so that animals that are ‘vulnerable’ can return to a place of thriving, abundant life?
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| Image by T M Wolf |
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LC† Tending the Vineyard is a project of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and on Twitter. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help to support extended offerings throughout the year. Thank you and peace be with you!
