Murmuration

‘Starling Murmuration’ by Gary Armstrong-Sly is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.

Have you ever seen one?  I was walking on the coast of Washington State admiring the surf and sand, when all of a sudden, a dazzling cloud of hundreds of Sandpipers flew past in a phenomenon that scientists call a murmuration.  It is aptly named, because the birds make little sound and their movements are like murmurs…indistinct, and ever changing.  Because sandpipers are black on top and white on the bottom, their murmuration was absolutely astounding!                                                

They not only created a dazzling, cloud, swirling and pulsating, in a fluid choreography of shapes, but as they twisted and turned, they were at once a mix of black and white.  And to think that this rare phenomenon is in answer to the threat of a predator like the Peregrine Falcon.  

Murmurations are most common among Starlings.  Scientists estimate that the largest of these included over six million birds!  Can you even imagine being witness to that?  What is so interesting is that scientists aren’t sure how a murmuration is possible.  The birds don’t like, practice their choreography.  They ‘speculate’ that each bird moves in coordination with seven of the birds around them…yet not a bird is lost in this spectacular, tight, flight.  Isn’t it a lot easier to just believe that it’s just another of Gods wonders, that God Himself,’ by whom all things consist’, holds all these birds together in perfect unity?  That He invented murmurations to dazzle us, get our attention and give us yet another very important metaphor about how He wants us to live?

A murmuration is a beautiful example of unity.  Every bird in continual sync with all the other birds in their fluid choreography!  God is showing you that unity is beautiful and needful for your own protection.  After all, you also have a predator, the enemy of your soul.  As the scripture makes clear, ‘Be alert and of sober mind.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion (like the Peregrine Falcon) looking for someone to devour.’
James 5:8. 

God is all about unity!  Psalm 133:1 ‘How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!’  This is what Jesus prayed that all believers would have.  UNITY, beautiful as a murmuration! Does Jesus get His prayers answered? I would hope so!  

He prayed to His Father in John 17: 

Verse 11 ‘that they may be one as we are one.’  (The Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.) 

Verse 21, ‘that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.’ 

Verse 22, ‘that they may be one as we are one—’

Verse 23, ‘I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity.’

Verse 24,’ that I myself may be in them.’

That they may be one with Him, one with their family, one with their church and or business associates.  Isn’t unity, oneness what we all strive for?  What we all want?  It is certainly God’s number one goal.  He sent His Son to die on a cross that we might be reconciled (unified) with Him!  Aren’t love, goodness, joy, success, protection byproducts of unity?  

Beautiful as a murmuration!

Do yourself a favor and click on the following link to view a video of a starling murmuration.

‘Flight of the Starlings’ 

Watch this eerie but beautiful, meaningful phenomenon.