Rock (& Roll) Doves

So truth be told, this blog isn't going to be about pigeons that much at all. But, I wanted to clarify something that I've found just a little bit fascinating... and also to try to describe why the the title, "The White Pigeon Hope" feels like it makes sense to me.

At our seminary in St. Louis, MO, the pulpit in the chapel is adorned with the art that you see on the left. Its meant to represent the work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. The white dove, of course, reminding us when God revealed Himself at Jesus' baptism, Father (voice from heaven), Son (wet in the Jordan River), and Holy Spirit (descending in the form of a 'dove'). Behind the dove, there's a bronze outline of Moses' burning bush - also reminiscent of the tongues of flame at Pentecost - another time when God very clearly spoke and worked in the lives of humans. Its a neat image.

[That's right, its a Christian writing this blog... in case you hadn't picked up on that.]

But don't get me wrong; I'm not trying to claim that anything here is "the voice of God"!
No, that's not me at all. (I just work for the guy.)

Instead, what I think I'm hoping to do here is provide instances in life that make it a little easier to see just how 'normal' the Holy Spirit is in His daily work as the third person of God's Holy Trinity. Quite often I don't even plan on mentioning God, but I want it to be implied that God's works are all around us... like pigeons, they're not always 'spectacular' or 'miraculous' like shiny white doves, but they swirl around in the background of everything... like pigeons.

And that gives hope!

- more on that later

Love 'em or hate 'em, what you see on the right is a 'rock dove'. That's the more-proper name for our dear friends - the rats of the sky! Pigeons of today, and especially those in cities, are descended from a noble line of wild and domestic creatures both who have been praised, traded, bred, hunted, eaten, raced, and admired for centuries!

Anyhow, to tie it all in...

There's something about the plight and flight of a pigeon that hits me as an appropriate mascot. Something about soaring free, but always coming home to roost. People will like you, people will despise you - but there's always another place to fly and see what's next.