In The Face of Death

I had an interesting experience with death today. I don't really like to think about it, but it's worth noting just because of the subject matter. Keva and I were cleaning with the back door open when a little tiny bird flew in and landed on the floor. Keva literally picked the little guy up and set him on the garbage bin outside without hardly a struggle from him at all. We observed his tiny body sitting there, and he seemed to be doing the same with us. As if he were too young to know he should be afraid of us, he made no indication that he was nervous at all. In fact, I reached out and put a finger under his breast in an attempt to convince him to step onto it. He didn't seem to mind me touching him, although he had no idea what to do with my finger.

It was a sweet, tender moment with one of Mother Nature's creations. Like the lion and the lamb that will one day lie down together without any scorn, there seemed to be no barriers between us, no limiting beliefs about how we should behave being so close to one another. I felt grateful to him for trusting us by putting himself in such a vulnerable position.

It lasted only a few moments, and then he flew under the SUV parked in the driveway. I turned away for a second, feeling all warm and fuzzy inside from having had that experience, when I heard Keva say, "Bridgette, stay away from the bird." It only took an instant, and when I turned around, I found Keva's cat holding my little friend in her mouth. Keva darted over to Bridgette and tried to pry her mouth open, but without any luck. The cat was acting on her primal instincts, what she was created to do, hunt and kill her prey. I had no hard feelings against Bridgette for being the animal she is. At least I know she will keep the mice away in the winter. I have no problem with her killing mice, and if I hadn't experienced the little bird as I had just moments before, I wouldn't have thought twice about the feathers hanging from her mouth. As it was, however, I hated the scene before me. I went back into the house with a sadness in my heart, and commenced preparing dinner. I tried not to think about it, but even now I feel sorry that it turned out that way.

Interestingly enough, I had my visiting teachees over for dinner tonight and the lesson that accompanied it was about death and the resurrection. Do you think that animals will resurrect? What about a little bird that 's too naive to run from it's enemies? I sure hope so.
I guess if the lamb and the lion will be friends one day, it would have to be in another world, and they'd have to have bodies or they couldn't really lie down together at all. I guess their little spirits have to go somewhere when they die, and so it would only make sense that they would be reunited with their bodies one day just as we will be. There's not really anywhere else for their spirits to float off to, and they bring so much joy to life. Of course they will be with us again. :)

OK, I can sleep well now, knowing that I'll see that little bird again. Maybe one day he and Bridgette will even be friends.