For a safe nest

Mama mourning dove here has made her nest under the eaves of our fellowship hall. The good news is, she is not directly over a door...this year. A little distance means a better chance for peace for her and her babies. I might remember to come click a few pictures on occasion, but other than that there shouldn't be too many disruptions.

I am not a mourning dove, but a quick reading of the wikipedia article tells me that the doves tend to be monogamous, and in warm climates they might have multiple broods, up to twelve chicks a year. And they eat seeds--plenty of those to be found on our grounds. Security and food. Easy enough to meet those needs.

Humans, though, have considerably more criteria. Maslow and his hierarchy of needs and all the theories of the seventy years since. Yes, we still need food. And security, most definitely--though our idea of threat is somewhat different. A need for friends and other close relationships, knowing that we belong and that we have worth. And then there are the needs to creatively act in the world... it's a really rich tapestry--for just one of us.

When we come together in a group, especially a religious community, it is amazingly complicated. So many different needs calling out to be met--so often unspoken and unknown. How can we best be in relationship, where it feels safe to express one's needs and one's callings?

There is sacred work to be done here.

May your nest be safe and comfortable and your fledglings warm, healthy, and ready to fly!