Chicken Faith
Squawking In The Rain
“…And their sayings appeared before them as idle talk, and they were not believing them.” So says Luke 24:11 about the reaction of Jesus’ disciples when the women told them Jesus was risen. Silly, irrational girls. Don’t worry your pretty little heads about such weighty spiritual matters.
I learned about this at an Easter service last month. I love Easter. It’s a holiday of second chances, what with its story of springtime after such a bitter winter. Our weather here in Colorado mimics the metaphor. We had snow last night and a luscious rain today. My chickens hide under the deck when it snows, but they run around looking like tiny, passionate dinosaurs in the rain.
Aren’t women sometimes compared to hens? No doubt, the idea comes from our similarities. Hens are usually found enjoying each other’s company and they talk a lot. I like to think there is more, though, or at least more to strive for.
We humans struggle mightily with faith; whether it’s faith in ourselves, God, the Universe or whatever. Chickens, on the other hand, are born with it.
The phrase “to be chicken” means to be afraid and unable to hold one’s place in the world, which actually does not describe chickens at all. Poultry know their place. They watch for hawks, foxes and raccoons. They flap around excitedly at sudden noises or movements. They announce to each other that danger might be in the area. And then they do the unexpected.
They calm down.
They go right back to their happy chatter and Very Important Chicken business. They run around, squawking happily in the rain, heedless of their wet feathers. They stream out of the coop when I step out of the house with a box of hen scratch, excited again, even though I gave them hen scratch 10 minutes ago.
My girls know how to squeeze every last bit of joy out of their feathery lives. Their commitment to happiness never wavers. You’ll never catch a chicken overanalyzing a situation. She’ll react with the fullness of her poultry nature and take her chances.
The women at Jesus’ tomb did the same. Their concern was love, not being right. One might say they had the faith of children (or the faith of chickens) and it’s just as well. What good did skepticism do the disciples? What good does second guessing ourselves do for us?
Skepticism and worry can drain the joy from our brief lives. Better to shamelessly be as God made us.
Better to chatter endlessly with your friends and only stop to focus on the blessing of treats.
Better to squawk in the rain with everything you’ve got and let your heart sing at the first sign of spring.
Better to live with the faith of a chicken.
About the Author
Bonnie Simon Has Written 35 Articles For Us!
I am an urban homesteader in Colorado Springs, CO where I raise chickens, make my own yogurt and am learning to grow some food, all within sight of downtown in a 1950s era neighborhood. I am starting a small business designed to fill the gap between local farms and local dinner tables.
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Bonnie, Fabulous post! I love it when we learn such deep lessons from the animals in our lives and from Nature. I’m sending this to a friend who also raised chickens and who will love your comments.