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"WHEN I IN AWESOME WONDER…"
Michigan's Golden Coast
Silent Friends
I had a close encounter some time ago
with some reclusive fellows of the strong silent type. I'm sure you know
some people like that. They keep their thoughts to themselves. They rarely
speak or let their feelings show with a smile. They usually look like
they have a frown. Once you get to know them, they usually indicate their
thoughts with subtle clues that take a long time to learn-in fact, maybe
only their children can read them.
While working on the beach in the southwest corner of Lake Michigan where
the borders of Michigan and Indiana meet I saw a gathering of large, black
birds near the water. I quietly walked over to them and found a group
of vultures, turkey vultures, feeding on carrion-a two and a half feet
long lake trout, that had washed up on the shore during the night.
If you have never seen turkey vultures before, they are very large (turkey
sized) black birds with naked, pink, heads and necks; large hooked beaks
for tearing flesh and big curved claws on thick toes. "Cute"
would not enter into a description of this bird. They have big broad wings
designed to ride the wind and the thermals in the countryside and lakeshore
with minimal effort. The wings are about five to six feet from tip to
tip and one foot in breadth.
These birds are not very rare, but, are very difficult to get close to.
Few people, other than birders, are aware of the fact that these birds
live in West Michigan. The uninformed take them to be hawks floating in
the sky. Their nests are located in remote, nearly inaccessible areas.
They are easily distinguished in flight, however, because their wings
form an upright "V" shape with the tips slightly curving in
towards each other. A hawk or eagle, on the other hand, have a flat, rounded
"W" shape when in flight. I have shown my children an old trick
to remind yourself of the shape. Place your palms together and touch your
elbows together. Now open your hands leaving your wrists touching. The
resulting shape looks like a vulture's wings when in flight. Once I learned
that trick, I've found that there are many more turkey vultures in the
area than I would have guessed. In fact, I see them almost weekly during
the summer. I have only been close to them twice in my life. The time
I am describing, and, thirty years ago I surprised five of them feeding
on a dead rabbit in the back of my father's blueberry farm.
I have a friend in Northern Ireland who keeps a "hooded vulture"
along with nearly forty birds of prey including hawks, eagles and owls.
He claims that the vulture is the smartest of them all. In fact it can
remember where food is that has been hidden by a dish. It will flip the
dish over to get at the food. In classrooms, the bird will shuffle around
the room picking food out of the children's fingers without hurting them.
The wind was blowing stiffly inland from the lake. Eight large black shapes
rose from behind some tall, ragged, white pines standing like sentinels
along the top edge of the dune. They floated silently over to the dead
fish, their wings set into the wind, floating, not flapping. I quietly
and slowly walked forward. I knelt behind the dead fish. These great birds
hovered in midair scarcely flapping their
broad wings fifteen feet away. Two of them advanced toward the fish and
landed on the ground in front of me. I can't resist naming them "Hook"
and "Buggy". They stood very upright over two feet tall. Their
"shoulders" were hunched up and their bald heads were set down
between them.
They waddled along a few steps and stood still, looking at me, slowly
blinking. There they stood, waiting. Waiting. Waiting. I hardly dared
to breathe. Their brothers were floating silently overhead, their motionless
wings were soundless. I wanted to say " Hi guys, how are you doing!"
It remained dead silent. Then, I moved, (I guess they won the stare down.)
to see if I could startle them.
It took quite a bit of movement on my part to get them to spread their
wings and lift off the ground, They slowly rose off the ground without
flapping. When I retreated, they all settled in for the feast watching
me warily.
This "gathering" of these fine fellows was unlike any other
birds I have met. They did not flutter about and chatter like blue jays
and chickadees. They were more like a solemn group of black robbed undertakers
quietly going about their grizzly business. I left them there. I didn't
have the heart to break up their feast again. I have never forgotten the
visit.
The church, like the world of birds, is made up of many different kinds
of saints. Some are like cheerful chirping sparrows. Others are like wise
old owls. The saints in church range from clucking, brightly colored old
hens to somber silent types who quietly take care of business unruffled
by the activities of the rest of the flock. Maybe those silent types have
bald heads too.
Do you appreciate the colorful variety of the bird kingdom? I find it
interesting that we can thrill to the endless variations of the creation
while showing intolerance for fellow saints who are different than we
are. Imagine that we can mock or show irritation and distrust of a member
of the body of Christ. Sometimes their behavior, color or family history
sets us off. Then we talk about it in our homes and with our friends.
All this can be directed toward a brother for whom Christ shed His blood
on the cross. What a shame! We all sin. Shouldn't our attitude be one
of tolerance, kindness and forgiveness toward each other? Do you have
the same appreciation for the wide variety of characters in your fellow
saints?
After meeting my "silent friends" I am convinced the Lord of
heaven and earth delights in the comical diversity of His creatures. If
I think about it, that is true of my spiritual friends, too.
What kind of a bird are you?
Deane Wassink
2/1/02
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