Why We Need the Birds

Dear reader, thank you for being here. Today it’s difficult to process the ongoing toll of what I’m coming to think of as twin pandemics: the covid crisis and the racism it is exposing, that is still spreading among us. We must remain vigilant against these two devastating enemies, right where we are.

A child can tell you: actions speak louder than words. That’s true, and words can be hugely powerful. They can stir up anger in us, or maybe spur us to some new kind of action. I’m prompted to share this poem by a high school student that I just received in an e-mail from a city councilor. I’m not a huge fan of some of the language he uses, but I am very moved by his poem, and his courageous ability to respond so swiftly and clearly. It gives me hope.

Another poem came to mind this week, maybe because I kept noticing how much louder the birds sound, the newfound joys of bird watching for many of us, and of course the experience of fellow birder Christian Cooper. 

This poem is so different, even gentle in its approach. But I’d say it makes a powerful argument for the unity of all creatures, and for the wisdom inherent in creation, if we are listening closely. What better time than now to be listeners? Lisel Mueller, who died this year, was herself no stranger to hatred, oppression, and danger: she and her family fled the Nazi regime in Germany when she was 15. 

Why I Need the Birds 

When I hear them call
in the morning, before
I am quite awake,
my bed is already traveling
the daily rainbow,
the arc toward evening;
and the birds, leading
their own discreet lives
of hunger and watchfulness,
are with me all the way,
always a little ahead of me
in the long-practiced manner
of unobtrusive guides.

By the time I arrive at evening,
they have just settled down to rest;
already invisible, they are turning
into the dreamwork of trees;
and all of us together —
myself and the purple finches,
the rusty blackbirds,
the ruby cardinals,
and the white-throated sparrows
with their liquid voices —
ride the dark curve of the earth
toward daylight, which they announce
from their high lookouts
before dawn has quite broken for me. 

 All of us together. Can we stand in sorrow and solidarity with Christian Cooper, and yes, with compassion for Amy Cooper? We can and should condemn her behavior but we cannot give up on her, or others like her, or on ourselves for that matter. We can’t give up on making this world a better and more equitable place because we have failed at it so far. 

How can it be these two people share a last name? Isn’t that an uncanny reminder that we are all God’s children? It is so hard to remember that in these hair-trigger times. We can’t give up on any one of us, if we are seeing things through God’s eyes. Each of us is deeply flawed, and each of us can be forgiven. One thing we all share is the Word. You know I’ve got to get my Bible in here somewhere! 

Concerning Retaliation

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ ³⁹ But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; ⁴⁰ and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; ⁴¹ and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. ⁴² Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.

Love for Enemies

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your brothers and sisters,^[o] what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 

Matthew 5:38-47 (NRSV)

And here’s a lovely prayer from the Sisters of Providence of Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods

Written by the Pax Christi Anti-Racism Team

Dear God, in our efforts to dismantle racism, we understand that we struggle not merely against flesh and blood but against powers and principalities – those institutions and systems that keep racism alive by perpetuating the lie that some members of the family are inferior and others superior.

Create in us a new mind and heart that will enable us to see brothers and sisters in the faces of those divided by racial categories.

Give us the grace and strength to rid ourselves of racial stereotypes that oppress some of us while providing entitlements to others.

Help us to create a Church and nation that embraces the hopes and fears of oppressed People of Color where we live, as well as those around the world.

Heal your family God, and make us one with you, in union with our brother Jesus, and empowered by your Holy Spirit.

Amen.