PASTOR’S NOTE

A few years ago we had an interesting incident at the Allen house.  We heard a noise coming from the small furnace room.  When I opened the door, I could hear a rustling in the flue.  I knew immediately what it was.  A bird had somehow gotten trapped inside the flue and was desperately trying to get free.  So, I immediately went into action to rescue the bird and rid us of a potential problem  In the garage I retrieved the old crab net left over from our days in Virginia Beach.  Joanne opened  all the doors so if in the rescue process the bird got loose it might by chance see a way of escape and fly out one of the doors to freedom.  When Joanne pulled back the blinds to open the patio door, we found about a dozen or so wrens sitting on our patio near the door.  They seemed to be excited or maybe even agitated.  When Joanne opened the door they moved a little but did not leave.  With my net in place I slowly opened the damper and sure enough it was a wren.  Before I could move the net to catch him, he saw the opened patio door and bolted toward freedom.  Out and away he flew with his little friends quickly following.  I marveled at what I had just witnessed.  I saw a group of common birds show an extremely advanced socialization.  Their friend was in trouble.  They somehow knew that he was in the house and that he may come through the opening on the patio.  They gathered to wait and maybe fuss a bit about the situation.  Just as soon as he flew free, mission accomplished, the left.  A recent study done with birds (mainly a group identified as Norvids, crows, ravens and the like) has proven the intelligence of these creatures.  What strikes me is how thee birds cared for their friend.  I don’t know how long they would have waited for him, but it was evident he was the reason they were there.  His release was the whole point of their display.  We humans are supposed to be the most advanced in every way among all of God’s creations.  Yet there are times that we seem to forget that includes caring for each other, especially for those of us who have found faith in God.  Maybe this very small bird can teach us a lesson about friends sticking together and not abandoning each other when they get in trouble.  Could it be that they instinctively understand a Biblical principle that even defines our relationship with Christ that we often forget, that a real friend is one “that sticks closer than a brother.”