Refuge

YHWH, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next. ~ Psalm 90:1

You know the joke about the local giving directions by way of the big house on the corner that used to be blue then turn where the big tree was that came down in that storm in ‘85….Well birders are often guilty of the same sort of thing. When I wanted to find the fields at the Togus VA Center, I thought “why didn’t someone tell me it was just a bit past the Cliff Swallow nests?” And when I chased the Anhinga, I thought, “why didn’t anyone say how close it was to Togus?” It is like giving directions in Eastern Massachusetts based on how many Dunkin’s you go by, just as helpful to those in the know and equally annoying to those who aren’t.

Sometimes, the bird isn’t special but the location is. The bird may not be extraordinary, but seeing it an important place makes it more valued. A common bird, if it is new to your yard list, is by definition special. Cape May Warblers have begun migrating. I’ve seen them on multiple trips recently, but the one in my yard was a first, immediately making it special. The list of birds I have seen at the place I call home is the list of birds in my personal refuge, a place that is sanctuary for me, if not for others.

Beyond our homes, special memories make special places. The world is filled with memorials to all sorts of events, from celebrations to tragedies, from well-known public locations to very personal private spots. Returning to those places can be an act of refuge. Or simply thinking about the spot, even without being there physically, can evoke the same emotions. Perhaps that is the heart of the matter. Just like home is where the heart is, any space that meets the conditions can become a refuge. If a rare wild bird sighting puts a location on the map, then maybe sightings of the Wild Goose Spirit of God create holy refuges everywhere.

Or, as the psalmist pointed out, our refuge is actually God, who never forsakes us. The very nature of spiritual experience is that it transcends time and space. Eternity breaks in whenever and wherever we are if we have the understanding to perceive and experience it.

Prayer: Wild Goose, the bird who brings us paradise, in your heart we find home. Amen.