Birdwatching: Catching Glimpses of the Spirit in Scattered Saints

I had the privilege of sharing the Pentecost message at IMC yesterday, and it invigorated me to deliberately look for stories that inspire me to have hope for the church yet.

I’ll share an abbreviated version here, especially for those who wanted to look deeper at some of the saints I mentioned. I’ll begin with the poem that started my ideas flowing:

Pentecost II

They say phoenix rise from ashes

but when he arose and rose up, Rose of Sharon,

crushed and scattered,

out of the flames

came not just myth

nor only John’s dove

but crane and Venezuelan troupial,

eagles, Arabian and steppe,

nightingale, stork, magpies

 with their treasures.

Out of their burning throats:

ibis and condor, peacock,

 sparrow

chukar partridge

hoopoe and sunbird

 together. Rustle and red

feathers sprinkled their foreheads,

they came for the wheat

 but stayed for the Wind.

They scattered, Babel backwards,

prism flight and Good News          winging

An art piece I made to illustrate the poem

For the reflection, I focused specifically on the diversity of expression of the Holy Spirit in the “birds” or everyday saints in some of the 17 countries I name by national bird in the poem. I was hoping to answer the question posed by Diana Butler-Bass in her conversation with Tripp Fuller about cynicism and faith heroes: “Which “saints” can inspire us to address the hurts of our hearts, the brokenness of our communities, and the pressing issues of our times?”  Here are those I chose to highlight:

Venezuelan Troupial-Erwin Mirabal

Before his death from Covid in 2020, Mirabal worked like the apostle Paul in Venezuela to encourage churches, train leaders in seminary, help believers form humble faith communities in the most marginalized areas like La Isla Margarita. The churches he lead came together to feed kids on the street, make soup for moms and children in hospitals that have no food provided, grow food on their patios during food crises, and share in public schools a ministry of Cooperative Games for Peace to help youth not repeat cycles of violence in the country.

Taiwan’s Magpie- Elaine and Otto Dirks
These Canadian Mennonite missionaries spent ten years in Taiwan loving a son who was born with Down’s Syndrome, and an adopted daughter who had both physical and developmental disabilities. Because of stigma and superstition about disabilities in an honor/shame culture, they found that many disabled children were hidden, neglected or abandoned. They returned to Canada for special education training and funds and in 1977, founded the New Dawn Special Education Centre in their home. Now, the New Dawn Educare Centre provides both day and residential services including education, music, animal and art therapies, vocational training and connections with local businesses to 270+ clients with a wide range of physical and developmental disabilities.

Ukrainian White Stork- Eleonora*

*Name Changed

Eleonora is a Roma woman who works with Blaho Charitable Fund, an MCC partner in Ukraine. Blaho provides educational support for Roma children, and since the war started last year, they have run a shelter for families who have been displaced. Having experienced discrimination herself, Eleonora has worked to care for people who were being ignored. She negotiated to get an empty hotel where they provide hygiene, three meals a day that are supported by MCC, a school program three times per week. They have art therapy for children and adults, a psychologist, lawyer and doctors when possible. She lives out Galatians 3:28 amidst a crumbling country.

Pakistani Chukar Partridge-Fatima* and Natali*

*Names Changed

Fatima and Natali are two women my friend Bethany befriended while their husbands were in dismal detention as refugees in Bangkok, Thailand. Having fled Pakistan to escape religious persecution as Christians, these women unwaveringly advocated for their husbands and families to have freedom.

Bethany wrote me some of their stories:

“There was an occasion when Fatima and I were hitting closed doors for sponsorship and we were discouraged and didn't know what new doors to try. Separately, we decided to fast and pray on a day. We hadn't talked with each other about it, and I didn't know she was fasting. The day after we fasted and prayed we got an email saying that Fatima's family was going to be sponsored by a church in Canada! We were elated and so thankful for the provision!

On another occasion Natali had been badgering me for help to find a sponsorship to Canada, and I kept putting her off. I didn't know what to do and I didn't know how to help. I sat I my desk and I decided to ask God for help, for a lead to help Natali. The next day I got a text from Steve's cousin about their church sponsoring refugees. That was the beginning. Natalis family went on to get sponsored. She was triumphant when we shared the news with her. She sang out her own Magnificat - ‘I don't know big people in high places, I don't have the ear of important people, but I have a BIG God, and God is taking care of me!’”

Colombia’s Condors: Mothers of Candelaria

Using Argentina’s Madres de la Plaza de Mayo (Mothers of May Square, another one of my other favorite glimpses about the Spirit at work) as a reference, Teresita Gaviria started the “Mothers of Candelaria” organization in 1999, driven by the search for her son Camilo. The “Mothers of La Candelaria” is currently made up of more than 800 members in the territory which has the highest number of disappearances in Colombia from the time when paramilitary groups and the government were locked in conflicts.

For the last 20 years, every Friday at 2:00 in the afternoon, grandmothers, mothers, sisters, lovers and friends take part in a protest at the entrance to the church in the center of Medellin, crying out for their loved ones; “we want them alive”, they demand. With more than a thousand cases being received by 2021, the Mothers of Candelaria ask for truth, reparations, consolation for those left behind and reconciliation, if possible.

Iran’s Nightingales- Women Lay Leaders

In a country where they do not have equal standing with men and live under an oppressive religious regime, women are leading house church movements, teaching Sunday school, discipling each other online, and creating digital content for groups who learn from satellite TV services. Not only that, but women are at the forefront of the current wave of protests for religious freedom, Iranian Christian women are encouraging the church inside and outside of Iran to care about oppression in courageous and enthusiastic ways. These women are living out Mary’s words in Luke 1: God’s mercy is for those who fear God from generation to generation. God has shown strength with God’s arm; God has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. God has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly.

I’ll leave you with the benediction I ended with yesterday:

In light of Pentecost, I hope we keep our eyes open for new sightings of God’s Spirit. I hope we are surprised. And conversely, I hope when we see glimpses of beauty, of justice, of Christ-like-ness, of radical love and service in every day people that we would give thanks for the Spirit that is so incredible that the myriad of saints only begin to hint at the source.

I’d love to know one of your favorite stories of the Spirit at work in a saint I might not know. And may these stories of good news wing out from our lips this summer.