Read the Book

Savannah Sparrow

Abraham said to him, “They have the words of Moses and the words of the prophets. Let your family listen to them.” ~Luke 16:29

All of us live with a subjective measurement of time. Years, months, days, hours, and seconds are artificially imposed on the natural cycle. This becomes clear when a leap year comes along to reset the clock. If you wake to an alarm clock you know this “reset” every morning that your body is not ready to give up rest. We are naturally attuned to the cycles of light and dark, yet we insist on structuring our schedules on our understanding of time. Of course, the movements of birds are on their own schedule. Sure, they are predictable, but only approximately.

Migration remains a fact, even the order in which species migrate remains consistent, despite our calendars indicating that the expected dates are changing as the climate changes. Around this time of year, the expected migrants shift from warblers to sparrows, with the ducks coming in the next few weeks. Being on the cusp, the day’s search might start by looking at trees to check on warblers only to find none, so switching to weedy fields hoping for sparrows. Just like learning a new language, reading the “book of nature” begins with a slow, stuttering intention before it gives way to flow. When it comes naturally, it begins to appear like magic to those who are still studying the human texts describing what to expect in nature. Field guides and nature publications are necessary for us to learn, but if they are not coupled with practice in the field, they become useless, dusty relics of old knowledge.

Jesus’ parable of the rich man who ignored the beggar at his gate, literally all of his life, is a warning to read not only the book of scripture (Moses and the prophets) but also the book of nature. The rich man begs to come back from the dead to warn his family, but Abraham rightly points out that they already have all the knowledge that they need from the writings, and if they simply look at how to put it into practice they will be saved from the suffering he now is facing.

Just like only studying a field guide without ever looking at birds, just reading holy writings without ever trying to live by the teaching will leave you empty with nothing but wasted time.

Prayer: Holy One, wake us up to action before it is too late. Amen.