The Shelter of God's Wing

One of the miracles of engineering is the feather On flight feathers, the veins coming off the shaft are barbed. These barbs interlock to create a seamless structure that is solid enough to sustain the bird in the air and to repel water. A wing full of feathers is a powerful tool, one that we humans at times envy. No doubt this is part of the reason angels are conceived as winged. A wing is also a welcome sight to a young bird. When confined to the nest, a bird needs all the protection it can get and a mother’s wing is sufficient for that task.

Whether shade from the sun or protection from the rain; a wing over a nestling’s head will do the job. While in the egg, a bird has a shell to protect it from the weight of the parent bird providing warmth. After hatching, a wing wrapped tightly around the clutch of young birds pulls them in to the warmth of the mother’s breast. The shelter of the mother’s wing also protects the young from detection by predators. Loons will ride on the back of their parents, sometimes completely concealed by their wings as they nestle down into the soft warm down of mom’s or dad’s back.

Seven times in the Psalms we read of taking refuge in the shadow of God’s wings. Jesus weeps over Jerusalem wishing that he could protect the people like a hen gathering her brood under her wings. This is a beautiful metaphor for God’s love for us. Some of the women of our church have begun providing a similar metaphor in the form of prayer shawls. These lovingly knitted shawls have begun to find their ways to people who need to find refuge in the shelter of God’s wing. Wrapped up in the warmth of the shawl, the hope is that one will also sense the love and prayers that have gone into its creation

There is one more way that some birds use their wings that demonstrates a remarkable form of love. Killdeer are most famous for this behavior, although other birds have also been known to demonstrate it. When the young are threatened, an adult bird will often feign an injury to its wing. Dragging along a wing as if it is broken makes it a more appealing target to the predator. Once the young are safe, the bird then is free to end the charade and fly off. Obviously, this behavior is not without risk. This should remind us of Jesus’ words that there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. As Holy Week approaches and we draw near to Calvary these words have all the more power.