The Story Seen & Unseen – I didn’t know, I already knew what I needed to know. On blue bird day – one of those beautiful days when there is not a cloud in the sky and the sky is that deep blue color. There overhead flew a flock of pigeons high high above. In a flash of moment I observed a pure white pigeon begin diving straight down at the earth. Not just any common pigeon but a pure white racing pigeon known for their God given ability to find home from anywhere – even where they have never been before. A Homing pigeon is born with the necessary DNA to find home without ever being taught.
I stood there breathless trying to take in what was unfolding before my eyes. Oh my, there is so much more to the story to be told. Though I didn’t know I already knew what I needed to know – for it too was part of my DNA. Yes, I knew the way home as well as the dove messengers sent in ages past just as this one was speaking to my heart today. The dove released over the waters – the well spring of all life, from Noah’s Ark returned with a message of hope. The dove that descended upon Jesus as he came out of the Baptismal waters of the Jordan River. For the Angles have always come in the form of dove as when the Angle Gabriel appeared to the young girl Mary.
As I looked into the blue bird sky above, I saw a white dove as pure white as a fresh fallen snow diving from the sky straight down as an arrow. It stopped me in my tracks and I I stopped breathing as I witnessed this vison sent from above. My mind was grappling to grasp what was taken place. But the Lord of my soul was unveiling before my eyes the message sent from the breath of God as it passed over the waters – the wellspring of all life.
As I watched the vision unfold, I could hardly believe what I was seeing. The bird was diving straight down at my lake. As I watched I finally realized a hawk was closing in from behind as it dove straight down to snare the bird. The dove appeared to be in a suicide dive – as the birds accelerated toward the earth I realized they would disappear behind a 100’ tree next to the lake. I looked immediately below the canopy of the tree expecting to see a splash – splash.
What happened next would teach me I already knew what I needed to know and that I had known this since I was a small boy. The pigeon has ten primary flight pins (feathers) which serve to propel the bird through the air to escape death as it travels the route unknown home. Then to my amazement I saw the pigeon make a remarkable maneuver and pull out of that death spiral and pull up and away leaving the hawk in it’s dust. It was then that I remembered the pigeon has twelve tail feathers that serve as a rudder which allowed it to escape assured death.
The Ten flight pins represent the Ten Commandments to keep us safe from those who would take our life and the twelve tail feathers the church established by the Son of God through the twelve Apostles to guide it’s people away from death. And again in His rising from the dead, he sent again the Paraclete, the Dove, The Messenger, the Advocate, the Holy Spirit to teach us what we weren’t ready to know.
But the Vision and the Spirit were not through with me yet. The Homing pigeon has a wattle (white soft tissue heart shaped) on it’s beak. The wattle is the heart where the DNA gift from God lives that enables the pigeon to find it’s way home. Again, on the back of the pigeon near the tail feathers is an oil gland that the bird routinely uses to preen it’s feathers. It is this oil that slickens, softens, and water proofs it’s feathers to assure the bird most efficiently passes through the air saving energy enabling it to survive it’s journey home through a world full of dangers, detours and road blocks.
God gave us each a soul created with the same DNA as a homing pigeon. We know the way home, if we listen to the voice that speaks to us through the heart of our soul. And so when we release a homing pigeon we place our trust in the spirit of the creator and the nature of the bird to know its way home if only we will set it free.
So when we release a bird it symbolizes the one we love already knew the way home and we trust in the Word for we are sure they will make it home. Further it serves as a powerful reminder – we are not our own and we cannot hold on physically forever to those we love. For in the plan of the creator of all – for this day we were born to give ourselves away trusting in the truth that will ultimately set us all free.