Mockingbird

Early one morning recently, I heard a collection of birds outside my window, each of them calling, one after the other.  I was able to trace the sound to a tree near my window when I discovered, to my shock, that all of these sounds were coming from one single bird!  I was being serenaded by a mockingbird and, true to his name, this bird was mocking or mimicking the sounds of other birds—and even insects.  How remarkable this is, to think one bird could so beautifully capture the calls and the sounds of so many other sources.  I thought of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon the followers of Jesus, giving each of them the gift of communication, each in his own language.  The word of God could be told in the local tongue, whatever that may be.  Like this bird, we are given the gift of communication; we can share the story of God’s love in our own language, and it will be heard by others in their tongue.  Thank you, God, for the ability to tell of your love in every language of the world. Amen.