Woody and Head-Banging

Woody… The bird-feeders hanging from our apple tree attract a variety of birds to our garden. There’s a big bullying crow, stupid pigeons, friendly robins, cheerfully singing blackbirds, busy chaffinches, gregarious bluetits… each has its own character.

Our favourites are the woodpeckers. At this time of year they’re frequent visitors. All are called ‘Woody’. Woody feeds from the feeders and then flies further up the tree where he feeds from the tree.

Grandson-Zak will not be allowed to forget the occasion when he first noticed this. ‘Look it’s a woodpecker!’ he exclaimed excitedly. ‘He’s… pecking wood!’

Head-Banging: I remember my mum saying, ‘It’s like banging your head against a brick wall!’ It was probably related to repeated instructions that my brother or I failed to obey.

Last night at our church home group we were discussing Jesus’ encounter with the two disciples walking to Emmaus. They were talking about Jesus’ life and death and their confusion at the empty tomb… Jesus says, ‘How foolish you are, and how slow to believe…’ Isn’t it obvious what’s happened?

Painful futility… I was reminded of Mum’s frustration with her sons non-action on her repeated requests. I fear that my foolishness and slowness might make Jesus sometimes feel the painful futility of heads colliding with walls.

Woody’s head-banging, against not a brick wall but a wooden tree, sheds a different light on head banging. Persistent head-banging is part of what he does every day. It’s part of his character. He comes to eat his sunflower seeds and peanuts and then he pecks wood repeatedly.

Repeated persistence… Despite her head-banging frustration mum disciplined and guided us patiently, consistently; despite his head-banging frustration Jesus taught his disciples repeatedly, persistently.

This morning I’m musing on the banging of heads against walls and trees, and St Paul’s words… that ‘suffering produces patience, patience produces character and character produces hope…’ and my where my head-banging has produced suffering, patience, character and hope…