A text ... a bird ... a name ... encounters of the spirit.

Memories of eagles ...

This week's lectionary reading ends with the refrain - "shall rise up on wings of eagles ..." Yesterday at Bible Study we ended up in a discussion about why the eagle was the imagery chosen by Isaiah for this particularly text.

It began with the question - "would another bird be as effective?"

We agreed it would not - but then I reflected back on the times when an eagle's presence brought added meaning to a moment in my ministry ... I'd like to share some:

Burials in the First Nations' Community of Bella Coola ALWAYS had an eagle circling overhead, above the cemetary - the elders regarded it as a good sign.

When our son Sam (now aged 11) was baptised in a ceremony by the River one summer's day, an eagle flew back and forth over the icy green waters. It was said by the Elder Daisy Moody, when she stood to give Sam his Indian Name (Noahkila - a creator being name held by her husband and passed down through his family), that the eagle's presence that day was important - a good spirit.

On our last day in Bella Coola, with the moving van backed up to the door of the manse and almost fully loaded, a majestic bald eagle landed in the front yard of the manse not three metres from Noahkila, and with a loud cry, launched himself into the air. I was told later that it was a very, very good sign - the eagle came to say farewell (for now) to Noahkila, a name that special connection to eagle and merganser ducks.

Since then, almost every time Sam (Noahkila) has walked into the range of sight of an eagle in zoos across the country, the eagles turn and look at him and call out. Again, an elder from Bella Coola has said this is a very good sign ...

And one last memory ... one day following a tragic death in Bella Coola, I went into the home where the death had occured with the family, and as we walked out the front door an eagle landed in the spruce tree, not 2 metres from where we stood. He gazed at the mother of the deceased and called out ... she smiled and greeted him in Nuxalkmc and said - "he (the deceased) is here, he came to say he's okay ..."

Isaiah's words ... a majestic bird ... a profound moment of spiritual meaning ... thanks be to God.