thoughts on the news of the day: black birds

hmmm…..

            Somewhere around 5,000 red winged blackbirds fell out of the sky last Saturday near Beebe, AR.  Scientists are not sure yet exactly how this happened; but they have ruled out poisoning or illness. Preliminary testing indicates that some sort of trauma was responsible for their demise. Lightning, hail or fireworks that might have been exploded on New Years Eve are possible causes of the deaths.

            It’s eerie anyway you look at it; black birds falling out of the sky.  Some doomsayers are claiming that the bird deaths are a sign of bad things to come.   They claim that the earth will end on May 21, 2011.   Can anyone really predict the end of life as we know it?  And if we could, would we live our lives any differently? 

            Does prophesying a bad outcome for our planet in the immediate future impact our lives in anyway that is helpful?  I don’t think it does.  Right now, two ladies in our church are at the end of long lives and are facing the end of their time here on earth.  My hope is that they can find strength, comfort and peace in these last days and that they know that no matter what, they are not alone.  Facing our immortality is never easy; our comfort lies in knowing that goodness does win and that love eventually conquers even death.

            I’m not sure why the birds died; I am not sure why any of us dies.  But I am sure that nothing can separate us from the love of God; and in the end, that is all we really need to know.

            hmmm…..