Sparrowhawks or Geese?

On Monday afternoon there was a pile of white feathers in our garden. Sitting on top of the pile, Mrs Sparrowhawk was enjoying a white pigeon for her dinner. I guess she’d forgotten she was a sparrowhawk and thought she was a pigeon-hawk.

Yesterday morning – eighteen hours later – Mrs Sparrowhawk was enjoying her breakfast. Another pile of pigeon feathers around her; half-a-dozen pigeons wandered around five metres away, apparently unconcerned that they could be her next victim.  

One afternoon recently I saw a flock of geese flying overhead in a V-shaped formation. I remembered stuff I’d been told before…

Flying in a V conserves energy; each bird flying slightly above the bird in front, reduces wind resistance… There isn’t one permanent leader; geese take turns being in the front, falling back when they’re tired… The V-formation gives them visual contact with each other; they can keep track of every bird in the group… Geese honk to encourage each other…

The predatory self-centred sparrowhawk destroys other birds; the  formation-flying geese, team-playing, mutually-supportive.

Increasingly, it seems, we’re encouraged to ‘look after number one’, develop ‘self-care’, focus on getting what I want. Sparrowhawk mentality is the norm.

Eugene Peterson believed that Jesus’ teaching on love and unity was more important than being right and taking sides in disagreements… seen particularly in his approach to same-sex marriage:

‘I have no patience with schism. This dividing the church because we don’t like or approve of some of our friends or neighbours is a far more serious heresy… I don’t think as pastors we are called to be God’s policemen… (those who cause division) cancel out any truth they are contending for by the hate they vomit…’

Winn Collier writes: ‘…’Eugene believed power should be used by tender hands. He believed that the way to change minds was with open arms rather than closed fists.’  …formation-flying geese demonstrating care and unity, rather than predatory, divisive self-centred sparrowhawks with little regard for those around them.