Mocking Birds, Snakes, and the Pandemic

Mocking Birds, Snakes, and the Pandemic

Guest Writer: Steve Petkoff

“You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night. “ Jonah 4:10.

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MELODIOUS MOCKINGBIRD

I’ve never been in jail, but I have felt like a jailbird because of the pandemic and the election of this past year. I have been confined and unable to go out into the world. As a result, I have become addicted to cable news and politics. I’ll even go so far as to say that I have substituted politics for God in some instances. It has been such an easy trap to fall into. It seems like so many people I know have suffered the same mind-blowing self-righteous infections. We’ve all suffered the same pains with the same sores, except some peoples’ sores are red and others are blue.

Our sores are not physically visible, but they are revealed when we speak. That even makes this disease more painful as we start to see ourselves losing friends we love. It’s hard to understand why we self-inflict ourselves with such a curse. The easy cure is to open ourselves up and start listening to one another.

During the pandemic, my church, St. Mark’s Episcopal, followed all CDC guidelines and suspended indoor services. We met in the Close (courtyard), wearing masks while properly distancing. Recently our priest, Father Danny, preached about snakes being symbolic reminders of things that make us uncomfortable. As he was preaching, I could feel Covid-19 and the politics leaving me as God returned to His place in my life.

While he was preaching, a mockingbird high in a tree behind him started to sing. It soon attracted other birds. Before I knew it, the entire courtyard sounded like a well-polished orchestra accompanied by a chorus of the most beautiful melodious sounds that only God can create through the voices of his creatures. I suddenly felt as free as a bird, knowing that all I have to do is to listen with the ear of my heart.

Steve Petkoff

For those who know Steve, wish him a happy birthday today… Joanna