I was in the church parking lot after this morning's services, waiting for my wife and daughter. It was one of those days when the sun was shining, but over in the west the clouds were high and giving a hint of possible weather to come. It was warm but not overly humid, and a nice breeze was blowing; the kind of breeze that makes for good kite flying if one was so inclined.
As I looked up off to the west, I saw them. Vultures or hawks or eagles, I do not know; they were to far away to tell, but there they were, high in the sky riding the air currants as such birds are wont to do. I watched as they circled and spun and drifted seemingly effortless on the wind way, way up high above the earth. I wondered just how high their altitude was, but could not begin to even give a good guess. I could only imagine what their view was of the river valley over which they were soaring.
I imagine most people at one time or another in there sleeping dreams have dreamed about being able to fly like a bird. As I watch these birds far off in the distance riding the currants of air far above the earth, I thought of how it was in my own dreams of flying, I never could get above the tree tops or clear that tall building in the way. In those dreams there was always a certain frustration that I could only go so high, when I really wanted to go so much higher, way, way up; up where these birds were soaring adrift on the wind; to have that unencumbered view of the earth below; to escape the bonds of gravity and fly way up high and far, far away.
I suppose such dreams could be psychoanalyzed and all sorts of conclusions be drawn from such analysis. Or, if Daniel or Joseph were around, one of them could give me a reliable interpretation of such dreams. But I do believe such dreams reflect some yearning, conscious or not, for a view of a bigger reality then what is encompassed in our finite creational boundaries. Isaiah talks about "mounting up like eagles..." Figurative language? Yes... But also perhaps a hint of something wonderful yet to come; a day when we see a bigger reality then we ever knew existed before; when we soar up high above the tree tops adrift on the wind with all creation opened up below to our view.
~ The Billy Goat ~
