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| Image by Kandukuru Nagarjun |
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Peacocks / birds-of-paradise
A GREETING
Let the fields exult and all that is in them!
Let all the trees of the forest sing for joy
(Psalm 96:12)
A READING
You set springs gushing in ravines, running down between the mountains, supplying water for wild animals and attracting the thirsty wild donkeys; the birds of the air make their nests by these waters and sing among the branches.
(Psalm 104:10=12)
A SMALL VERSE
Once every three years the fleet returned carrying gold,
silver, ivory, apes, and peacock tail feathers.
(1 Kings 10:22)
MUSIC
A MEDITATIVE VERSE
Praise God from the earth, you sea creatures and ocean depths,
wild animals and all cattle, small animals and flying birds.
(Psalm 148:7,10)
A PRAYER
Hold us God
In the longing for a new world and new living
Cradle us God
In the hunger for justice that aches in us
Feed us God
In the search for healing in our broken world
Find us God
In the gathering round the table
Gather with us God
In the breaking of bread and spilling of wine
Share with us God
In the community of faith
Reveal yourself God
–a prayer from the Church of Scotland, found on re:Worship
a liturgical planning blog
VERSE OF THE DAY
The trees of God drink their fill—
those cedars of Lebanon, where birds build their nests
and, on the highest branches,
the stork makes its home.
(Psalm 104:16-17)
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| "The Adoration of the Magi" by Fra Angelica Peacocks adorn the stable roof |
The peacock was imported from India in the time of Solomon. The biblical Hebrew word is obscure and is believed to actually be the Tamil word for peacock feathers. Peacocks have been an important presence in Christian art since the early third century, when it first symbolized Jesus' resurrection. In the medieval period, peacocks entered nativity art as one of the elements that foreshadows the events of Jesus' life. The peacock's capacity to shed its feathers annually and grow back more brilliant ones also came to symbolize how a faithful Christian can be renewed into deeper faith from year to year. A peacock drinking from a vase or a stream signified a believer drinking from the waters of eternal life.
Papua New Guinea has one of the most diverse wildernesses in the world and is one of the only places on the planet with a range of diversity of climates. There are active volcanoes, glaciers and there are areas that get annual snowfall. And yet, the island has more than 2 million hectares of forested land.
In the last few decades Papua New Guinea has been a principal source of palm oil — causing deforestation that has dramatically displaced some of the 1500 species, including many birds. More recently, however, it has become one of the many island nations affected by rising sea levels. In the video below, made in 2018, the birds of paradise are sought after by conservationists for observation, funded in part by the Cornell Ornithology Lab (who brought us the popular Merlin app). The species identified in the video live only here and nowhere else. Once they are displaced, they are gone.
The extraordinary diversity and remarkable beauty of the unique birds found in the southern hemisphere stand to pay the highest price for our first world desires. Psalm 104 describes God's Creation almost as it must have first appeared. The singing of birds is one of the named wonders, by flowing waters. How can we help support those working to keep the birds of paradise and other species that live in the South Pacific safe and free from industrial harm?
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Scripture passages are taken from The Inclusive Bible.
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LC† The Winged Word is a devotional series of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. 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. 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 support the ongoing work.
Thank you and peace be with you!
