But those who wait for YHWH find a renewed power: they soar on eagles’ wings, they run and don’t get weary, they walk and never tire. ~Isaiah 40:31
The longest wingspan of any bird you will find in New England is 80 inches, and there are three birds with wings approximately that long: Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, and Bald Eagle. While similar in length, they are very different in structure and function. The longest wingspan belongs to the eagles (and yes, the occasional Golden Eagle is a tad long than the Bald, and the mega-rare Stellar’s Sea-Eagle beat them both). They spend a lot of their time in the air soaring in lazy circles. Even when they cover distance, they don’t flap a lot. Vulture wings are similar in shape, long and relatively narrow, because they, too, soar. They flap even less often. You will see them teetering in the air as the wind currents cause them to roll. If you look carefully, you will notice that their wingtips are held at an upturned angle, making their wing shape resemble a very shallow “U.” This is called a dihedral, which aids in stabilization. When wind pushes one wing up, the other goes down, but since it was curled up, it remains more level to the ground and thus gets more lift than it would otherwise so it counters the roll. Eagles soar on flat wings, which sacrifices some stability in favor of maneuverability, which comes in handy when hunting prey, something vultures don’t need since the animals they eat don’t move since they are already dead. Great Blue Herons do not do a whole lot of soaring, they don’t even do a whole lot of flying, but when they do they need a lot of lift to get their large mass off the ground where they spend most of their time. That is why they have broad wings, the extra surface area provides greater lift.
I’d like to know why the author of Isaiah chose eagle’s wings to describe one way God rewards patiently seeking God’s way. Considering that the rest of the passage speaks about marathon stamina, I suppose it is about the apparent effortlessness exhibited by eagles. Though, if that is the metaphorical point, vultures would be an even better example. Perhaps it is the power shown in the liftoff when an eagle takes to the wing that is the point. Vultures are effectively grounded until the sun warms the air enough for them to ride the rising of the heated air. Eagles, on the other hand, unfurl those mighty wings and pump them slowly and deeply to propel themselves to the skies. Indigenous people weave tales of eagles when they want to speak of wisdom, because it is the view from the heights that provides understanding. I suppose that is part of the point Isaiah is making, don’t try to gain insight on your own, exhaustion will get you first. But if you have the patience, God will eventually carry you to the place where you will see what you need to see and thus know what you need to know.
Prayer: Mother Eagle, thank you for the lift, it was worth the wait. Amen.
