Pecking Orders

Morning had broken, and the sun was streaming through

the curtains casting rays of sunshine across the room.

The chirruping of the birds in the hedge framed the

splendour of waking up to a glorious brand-new day.

My head sank lazily into the pillow, and then that I heard it:  Tap, tap, tap.

The mysterious sound came from the direction of the window. Once again, I heard it, ‘Tap, tap, tap’ What could it be? Was this my morning wake up call? Who was trying to waken me? I waited and listened.

There it was again.

I cautiously and silently slid from my bed and edged quietly towards the window, curiously wondering what nature was up to. I peered through the side of the curtains and my curiosity was appeased, for there on the window ledge stood a magpie, pecking intently at the window pane, engrossed in his task.

Magpies are highly territorial. It is common for magpies to see their own reflection in glass, comically mistake it for a rival bird, then try to drive it away.

Why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? Matt 7:3

Sometimes we may find ourselves wanting to have a go at someone else, seeing them as a threat or infuriating or exasperating, like my morning magpie who saw his reflection as a rival.     Are you giving pecking orders to another? Let’s be careful when we point at the specks in others, for a superior behaviour is to be kind and forgiving, knowing that we are prone to getting things wrong too.

With Love,      Rev Gill x

 Let him who is without sin cast the first stone. John 8:7