The Pigeon on the red rocks is hanging out in the Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs. The black bird sitting on the snow is an Alpine Chough, which I met on the top of Nordkette, a mountain in the Austrian Alps. Honestly, I don’t know that I would have paid much attention to either bird if it weren’t for one of my young parishioners from Hope, Rockford who is passionate about birds. His love and knowledge have inspired me to pay more attention to the feathered friends around me.
Look at the beautiful contrast between the pigeon on the rock she sites on! As I strolled through the rock pillars, the air was absolutely filled with the sound of bird song! And the Alpine Chough was one of the several I met at 7,000 feet above Innsbruck. What in the world were birds doing up so high? What food were they finding in the frozen world? In both cases, I paused to take a picture. To watch the birds fly. To listen to their songs.
What a wonderful gift to share from someone so young — a passion for the magnificence of God’s creation. It has left me wondering what I leave in my wake. I hope that my love of train travel has inspired someone else to hop on and take a ride. Or my reminiscing of growing up in a Dairy Queen makes someone decide that they need to go enjoy some ice cream. What is it for you? What brings you joy? What do you find interesting? Sharing that joy is a way to lift others up, a means to help them experience the world in a more complete way.
The Apostle Paul had something to say about such things: Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8)
+BJST
