Red-Shouldered Hawks

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John Miller
03/22/21 - Windstream Mail

R E F L E C T I O N S

Thoughts on nature and the Christian faith - 3/22/21

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"In him you also are being built together into a

dwelling place for God by the Spirit." - Eph. 2:22

For several years we have had a pair of red-shouldered hawks nest on our property. For some reason, this year they moved their nest site closer to our house, so I decided to find a place to hide and set up my camera in hopes of getting an image of them building their nest. And so, with the help of a big telephoto lens and some patience, I managed to capture several shots as they constructed their nest. It was interesting watching them at work. Bit by bit, sticks of various sizes were brought in and carefully fit into place. The nest is now almost finished and a new home to raise their young will soon be completed. As I observed this construction I was struck by the many materials that were used and by the way in which these diverse shapes and sizes all fit together to form a home for the hawks. Scripture tells us that something similar is happening to us. The worldwide church of God is formed by an incredibly diverse number of parts. We don't all look alike, act alike, or understand alike. We have diverse personalities and gifts. And yet, in spite of this, God fits us together by the Holy Spirit as a dwelling place for his presence. The true church is not a building but a people fashioned by the hand of God. As a Christian, you are who you are and where you are because God, in his grand design, has put you there. And as much as we try to construct our churches with sticks that all look alike, God delights in the diversity of his ultimate plan for the church. Apparently the dwelling place God is building makes use of flawed sticks like you and me. I have a feeling that when all the pieces are finally fit together God will be pleased with what he has built. And we will be honored to have been chosen to be a part of the nest. - John