Spark Birds

He said therefore, ‘What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.’ ~ Luke 13:18-19

Our intrepid local band of bird nerds braved the chilly, windy conditions to chase down a reported rarity this week, a Tundra Swan. We definitely paid our dues, thoroughly checking every nook and cranny of Sebasticook Lake we could find, before stopping again at our first location, you know, just in case. Our persistence paid off when we spied the large white bird only yards off shore, easily visible from the car as we were parking. Our curious behavior brought on curiosity from others parked there to enjoy a lunch break with a view. We pointed out the bird to them with requisite enthusiasm, offering looks through our optics. They seemed to enjoy the encounter, perhaps not quite sharing our excitement, but at least not making fun of it. Who knows, maybe it will be a spark bird for someone and the ranks of the bird nerds will expand.

Our large bird was in a location just a tad north and east of where it might be expected on migration, thus causing only a bit of a stir, attracting handfuls of birders. Meanwhile, a smaller bird was causing a much larger commotion across the pond. On a quiet cul-de-sac in Halifax, Yorkshire, England, a bird common to our woods has decided to make an appearance. Twitchers (the wonderfully flighty term Brits use for those we might call listers) are driving long distances and waiting long hours for a glimpse at a Scarlet Tanager. I’m not surprised that I heard about it, since ornithological information is a staple of my newsfeed and inbox, but I also heard the story on the BBC world report on my local NPR station this morning. That’s a pretty big impact for a relatively small being who haplessly found their way to another continent (likely “aided” by a strong weather pattern).

Many birders end up twitching after years of building a list of expected species. The law of diminishing returns makes incidental rarities exponentially more interesting and thus powerful. Such a small thing creating so much attention. It is like the mustard seed in the parable, a tiny thing that, given time, grows to something with out-sized value and importance. Obviously, a vital takeaway from the parable is to avoid equating small with insignificant. Surely we can all agree that in a harsh world, there are no small kindnesses. Kindness, caring, compassion, forgiveness, mercy, and a multitude of virtues, are by definition always huge. Yet in ironic beauty, they are at the same time, simple and easy enough to casually insert them into the most minuscule moments of our days. Maybe your random, or better yet, not-so-random act of kindness can be the spark bird that sets someone else on the journey of twitching their own kindnesses.

Prayer: Mighty Spirit, spark in each of us again that truth that we are never too tiny because we are seeds meant to grow mightily. Amen.