Raven, Not Dove

Yesterday’s readings on the sixth Sunday of Easter were filled with the Holy Spirit, literally.  Our first reading from Acts said: “Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.”

Our second reading from 1 Peter said: “For Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the Spirit.”

Our Gospel from John said: “Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him. But you know him, because he remains with you, and will be in you.”

This week we find repeated references to the Holy Spirit – references that should remind us of the image we use for the Holy Spirit: a dove.  When do we first find a dove in the Bible?

With no reference to the recent movie Noah starring Russell Crowe, in Genesis (8:8-12), after the ark landed on the mountains of Ararat, Noah sent out a dove three times to see how far the flood waters had receded. The first time it found nothing and returned to the ark. The second time it brought back an olive leaf, so Noah could see that God’s punishment was over and life had begun again on the earth.  The image of a dove holding an olive branch continues to be a symbol of peace to this day.  The third time, the dove did not return, and Noah knew it was safe to leave the ark. 

But wait, earlier in Genesis (8:6-7) “At the end of 40 days Noah opened the hatch he had made in the ark, and he sent out a raven, to see if the waters had lessened on the earth.  It flew back and forth until the waters dried off from the earth…”  The first bird out was the raven, yet this shiny black bird gets no credit for its being the scout monitoring the waters until they dried.   With a little more luck the raven might have become our image of the Holy Spirit.  And, why not?

Consider that the raven is the cultural focus of the Native people of our Northwest coast.  The raven symbolizes creation, knowledge, and the complexity of nature.   It symbolizes the unknown and that every person sees the world in different ways.  The raven was often called upon to clarify truths in visions because wise elders knew what the eye sees is not always the truth.  Many of the original peoples of the Pacific Northwest believed that messages from the creator of the cosmos were buried in the wings of the raven only to be released to the families most deserving of his knowledge.  The raven was considered to be a long-distance healer and was known as the “keeper of secrets” helping to expose the truth of kept secrets that might harm the people.

Perhaps when we think of the raven, the Alfred Hitchcock movie “The Birds” comes to mind.  Bird attack, bird attack!  Perhaps we think of the Edgar Allen Poe poem “The Raven” that ends, “And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting on the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; and his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming, and the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor; and my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor shall be lifted - nevermore!” 

Wow!  No wonder the raven gets a bad rap! I’ll admit that my image of the Holy Spirit is more like a raven come to sit upon my shoulder; make me bolder; make me bolder; and my soul found gleaming rising lighter keeps me lifted evermore. 

Although the dove is a great and enduring image, I find this pigeon-like bird too passive and not likely to help me deal with the daily obstacles I must overcome and, on behalf of our Church, to protest and address social, economic, and political injustices.  In contrast to the dove, the raven is a smart and aggressive bird, far from wishy-washy.   Holy Spirit, urge me on with a “cur-ruk,” not a “coo” in my ear to take the road less traveled and use the narrow gate.  Anyone care to speak on behalf of the dove? 

“Evidence” that my image is appropriate is provided by a dove encounter with a crow (raven-like) at the Vatican.   Released by the Pope and children as a symbol of hope for the Ukraine, two doves were attacked by a crow (and a sea gull side-kick).  To the horror of everyone watching, this attack was considered a bad omen for the Ukraine. 

I think otherwise.  The Holy Spirit in the form of a raven (a crow, close enough) sent a message to the entire world: “Yes, I am a dove, but I’m also a raven, and raven-like behavior is called for relative to the Ukraine and everywhere else where injustice and oppression is rampant. I don’t mean war.  I mean non-stop efforts to prevent war and confront aggressors who wish to impose their wills on others.” 

Jesus was crucified by oppressors who saw him as a threat to their power.   We cawn’t forget that!  With summer almost here, every time a crow appears, think of the raven and our need for raven-like behavior and not passivity.  Also, think of the raven as our advocate, although farmers surely won’t feel that way.

P.S.  As I wrote this blog from the top floor of the 4C’s Library, a large crow dropped to the ledge outside my window.   It called to me (caw); then it flew away.  Could the Holy Spirit be any more direct?

Deacon David Pierce