The empty nest
The nest now sits empty perched up in a nearby tree behind my home. We watched this spring as a bird sat on her eggs warming and nurturing them until the day all 4 of those little eggs hatched. We listened intently to the quiet chirping of the baby birds and watched from a distance as the mama bird brought worms back to feed them. As the days rolled on we witnessed the transformation of the featherless little babies into more mature feathered birds. Then one day they were gone the mama and the babies. Now the nest sits empty.
Many of us as people of faith experience a transformation similar to the birth of the baby birds. God provides a safe home for us and warms us with the love of a community of believers. We hatch into a bright and loving place where we are feed the Word of God and nurtured in our immaturity. As we grow and are loved we acquire the feathers and wings to fly. We feel safe and secure in our nest and many of us choose never to fly away from it, we prefer to sit in the nest and to only speak God’s words within the safety of the nest. God did not mean for us to stay in the nest forever it is a place of security that we can and should always return to but not live within.
Our community of believers, our foundation of faith, our Church is the place where we are to be fed by God and each other to be uplifted and encouraged but we cannot live there. We must fly outside of those secure walls and bring God’s wisdom and love to the entire world. Our churches are there to continue to help us grow more deeply in our faith and being a part of the faith community is necessary so that we may build up the kingdom of God here on earth but we cannot live only within those walls. God wants us to take what we find weekly from our Church and live it out during the week. Do not keep it all in the nest. Although it is tempting to snuggle up with your fellow baby birds you must fly and return often for nourishment. God intended for the nest to be left empty at times so that we may one day be the mama bird that brings the worms to other hungry baby birds in other parts of our lives.
the call to take the Gospel to the whole world as been for many reserved to the clergy/missionaries-this is a mistake. The mission to pronounce the word of God is for all. Remember Gerasene the demoniac who wanted to follow Christ after being relieved from the legion of demons was told by Christ to go to his people and announce the good news of his salvation(cf.Mk5:19-20); the Samaritan woman is another example who did not quiet the good news that she heard form Christ but went to call others to partake of the same (cf.Jn4:28-30). We must be ready therefore to share with others the love we receive form God and not keep it for ourselves.
Lori,
It’s very interesting that you sent this to me today because I have been caring for a family of birds in front of my home. The nest, with the babies, dropped from the tree about two weeks ago. I repostioned the nest in the same tree and put all of the baby birds back into it. The mother and father returned then resumed caring for them. They all left the nest on Saturday.