Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Matthew 6:26

Birding

            I recently had the privilege of participating in an early morning birding walk in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina. Our guide was an expert who knows the calls and habits of many birds, so on our short walk along a gravel road at the woods' edge, we heard and/or saw 24 species of bird ranging from song sparrow to Great Blue Heron. Near the farm we heard a rooster waking his hens and witnessed a flock of rock pigeons lifting off from a field. Our guide pointed out how the song sparrows seemed to like hanging around the hog sheds. Who would have guessed? Not me.

            I'm familiar with a few bird species. The ones I know best are the ones my mother taught me when we walked together, but really, I'm just a beginning birder. There are many gaps in my knowledge, perhaps in part because there's so much to know. Without our guide's expertly trained ears and eyes on that early morning walk, I wouldn't have experienced nearly as much variety, nor would I have been able to sort out the calls I was hearing. I might have consulted field guides and websites for years before being able to identify all those species. Having a knowledgeable guide was invaluable to my advancement as a birder.

            As people of the Way, it's also important to have a knowledgeable guide. Of course, attending church and Bible studies can grow our understanding of the Bible and what it means to live the Christian life. Pastors and teachers play a huge role in this, but they can't do everything, especially in large churches. The Holy Spirit is also our guide to truth.

And I [Jesus] will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth (John 14:16 - 17a).

            Where are you on the Christian-walk spectrum? Novice, expert, or somewhere in between? Do you hesitate to categorize yourself in one of these groups? Me too! As Thomas Merton writes, "We do not want to be beginners. But let us be convinced of the fact that we will never be anything else but beginners all our life!" No matter how long we've been walking the Way, having an in-the-flesh someone or group of someones to walk with us can help fill in gaps in our knowledge and understanding.

And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul's message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth (Acts 17:11).

"They listened eagerly," "They searched the Scriptures." (emphasis mine). These were joint efforts, practices entered into together. Just as the bird species I know best are the ones I learned from my mother, the Christian principles I know best are the ones I've learned from walking the Way with other believers. Doing life together with other believers benefits us in ways nothing else can. Timothy and Titus had Paul as their guide.  John Mark had Peter. Who are you guiding? Is someone guiding you? Hopefully, both are true.

 Daye Phillippo

July 2016