I would not have noticed them on my own. I would have scanned the skies with my binoculars for hours without success. A sighting would have remained elusive. Fortunately, I had help seeing what I otherwise would not have perceived.
Tambi Swiney Brown
I had missed the peak of the Broad-winged Hawk fall migration in Western North Carolina due to my own peregrination. Although I knew on this morning in late September I was unlikely to witness one of the spectacular kettles — a migrating group of hundreds or thousands of hawks — I held out hope that I might still spot a few stragglers. I drove to an overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway near my home, equipped with binoculars and a camping chair, prepared to watch and wait.
Much to my relief, I discovered more than a dozen birders already stationed at the overlook, most clutching binoculars more powerful than my own. Hawk Watch was under way. These birders knew what they were looking for; they could identify raptors in flight based on the shape of the wings and the tail. I was swiftly oriented by an experienced birder who explained the proper protocol for announcing a sighting.
By the time I headed home that afternoon, I not only had added two Broad-winged Hawks to my annual checklist but also an assortment of other birds, including a Sharp-shinned Hawk and a Bald Eagle. As I drove down the Parkway, I realized that without help, I would not have been able to spot those high-flying raptors, much less identify them. The camaraderie among the birders made all the difference.
“The camaraderie among the birders made all the difference.”
I long to experience that kind of camaraderie during this season of Lent. In the midst of another fractious election year, with wars raging abroad and democracy under attack at home, with climate disasters mounting and human empathy declining, I need other people who can help me “find the good and praise it,” in the words of writer Alex Haley. “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things,” advised the Apostle Paul.
That is easier said than done these days.
If I am going to fast from criticizing and complaining during Lent and instead feast on gratitude and graciousness, I need companions who will point out what I otherwise might miss. I need friends who will tell me stories about people who are modeling Jesus’ radical compassion. I need folks who will direct my attention to “beauty emergencies” — a term I learned from the poet Maggie Smith — when they witness something transcendent.
When the sun rises on Easter morning, I will gather with other early risers in the Sacred Garden at my church. We will recall the story of the women who were surprised by joy in the midst of grief, women who found the good and praised it. In the meantime, will I do likewise? Who will help me fast and feast?
Tambi Brown Swiney is an ordained Baptist minister, spiritual director and writer who calls the mountains of Western North Carolina home. She has pastoral experience serving in both congregational and community contexts. She has served on the Baptist Women in Ministry leadership team and the BJC board of directors.