I stepped out of the panga (small landing boat) onto the white sand of Las Bachas on the NW shore of Santa Cruz in the Galapagos. I was leading a group of college students to Ecuador for a month-long class in tropical ecology. We had spent a week in the Amazon Basin travelling by large dugout canoes, a week in the inter Andean highland, and now the Galapagos. As I stepped onto the dry sand (recorded from my journal), “a male Yellow Warbler landed on my foot. From that point on, it was a virtual zoo of tame creatures with seemingly nothing more important to do than to pose for photographs.”
How would you describe this “trust”? Historically there have been no terrestrial vertebrate predators in the Galapagos and only four of the 13 major islands are inhabited by humans. The other islands have only limited access for research and carefully controlled tourism with a licensed guide required. It is a little piece of Eden! Shorebirds nest in abundance – anywhere! – Even on trails where extra caution is required to avoid stepping on them. Some, when you enter their “personal space,” will peck to get your attention. I have often wondered what this Blue-footed Boobie was thinking. What do you “read” in its eyes? Its mate, incubating an egg, is directly behind it on the trail.
But you do not need to go to the Galapagos to have personal up-close relationships with some of the non-humans that share our common space. It is said that St. Francis of Assisi preached to the birds, urging them to praise God. He viewed them as brothers and sisters in God’s Creation. Craig Johnson, a friend who lived at Bush Point, is my living example of St. Francis. I was in Craig’s home when a Douglas Squirrel came in through an open door and scampered right to Craig, up his leg, and into his shirt pocket to pluck out a peanut and then hurried out the door with its prize.
Another night, during a time of fellowship with Craig and his wife Joy, a family of racoons peered through a window looking for their evening treat. During the day when Craig and Joy walked down the road near their house, the crows and other birds followed them joyously vocalizing! Another friend who lives down the road from me, has earned the trust of the Black-capped and Chestnut-backed Chickadees that now eat out of her hand. Their trust is extended to others as I discovered while walking in front of her house as chickadees landed on my head and shoulder expecting their normal handout. Apparently, others are similarly greeted on their walks by that house.
Why do most of us find this trusting behavior so unusual? Some of us would be downright shocked to have a bird land on our shoulder! How would you react? Would you welcome the visitor or… perhaps react in a different way. It takes time and patience to earn the trust of creatures that have learned to fear us. What was it like in the Garden – in Eden? As Christ followers, what relationship is expected as we tend His garden? Do you have time to earn the trust of your non-human neighbors? Christ said that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. Could He also be referring to our non-human neighbors?Blessed to be a blessing.
Our Prayer: Lord, we pray to be filled with your love that we may not only share it with other humans but also with your non-human Creation. Amen,
Thanks for listening.
— Joe Sheldon
Direct comments to Joe Sheldon at jksheldon43@gmail.com
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