Dear Friends in Christ -
In last Sunday's Gospel lesson, the image that came to us from Jesus himself was the image of Jesus gathering us to himself as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.
Today, I received an email from someone heard Jesus' words last Sunday, and who came across the following story this week:
After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park , forest rangers began their trek up a mountain to assess the inferno's damage. One ranger found a bird literally petrified in ashes, perched statuesquely on the ground at the base of a tree. Somewhat sickened by the eerie sight, he knocked over the bird with a stick. When he gently struck it, three tiny chicks scurried from under their dead mother's wings. The loving mother, keenly aware of impending disaster, had carried her offspring to the base of the tree and had gathered them under her wings, instinctively knowing that the toxic smoke would rise. She could have flown to safety but had refused to abandon her babies. Then the blaze had arrived and the heat had scorched her small body, the mother had remained steadfast...because she had been willing to die, so those under the cover of her wings would live. 'He will cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you will find refuge.'(Psalm 91:4)
I am so very moved by this story. In reading it, I realized that in my imagination, the setting for Jesus' story about the hen gathering the chicks was a pleasant day in a fenced enclosure, removed from any real danger. But the reason we need a safe place to find shelter is because the dangers in our lives are real.
On this day, in the midst of the very real fires and other dangers we face, may we know the protection and comfort of having a very real Savior.
Faithfully,
Janet+
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