mountain bird

A steller's jay. They live in the mountains of Southern California. They dress nice, as you can tell, though some may argue with their choice to mix blue and black. Generally, they are squaking kinds of birds, with a harsh cackle. But, if you listen to the forest you'll hear other sounds. A contented mumbling, a hawk like scream, a delighted whistling, and once even what sounded like R2D2 in a tree.

If you listen, and get to know what they are saying, you can understand what's going on in the other parts of the forest. Where the ravens are, for instance, or where the coyotes are wandering past. You can also know if the forest is at peace when the only sound to be heard is the wind through the trees and a quiet sing song conversation of one jay with another.

This has absolutely nothing to do with the Emerging Church in the 21st century. At least I don't think it does. There's this part of me, this ancient part of me, that suspects such things have a lot in common indeed.

If we only just knew how to look and listen right.