There is a tall, but dead, tree that stands next to my favorite pond. Most mornings it is bare, but sometimes I will spy a large bird at the top. I spot either a bald eagle or a turkey vulture perched in the tree on some visits. This morning it was the red-headed vulture who occupied the post. Both the eagle and the vulture are graceful as they soar in the sky, though we see far more vultures than eagles overhead. Both birds have impressive physical characteristics, with wingspans of about 6 feet and the ability to fly at great heights and for long distances. Some vultures actually migrate from Canada to South America. But the eagle is stunningly handsome and the vulture is as repugnant as its name. Of course the eagle has that striking physical appearance, with snowy white head, golden bill and authoritative stare. The vulture's truly bald red head seems too small for it's body and doesn't have the nobility of the eagle. But the vulture is a successful species and lives over most of North and South America. He has few natural enemies...it's almost as if all of nature appreciates the nasty cleanup function that he performs as dead animals are his food. If I judge on appearance the eagle wins every time, but if I judge on survival I have to acknowledge the turkey vulture. He has found a way to survive and thrive in a way that benefits the ecosystem. He may be ugly but he is successful. His role is distasteful but necessary. Sometimes we need to look a little longer and think a little deeper to recognize the handiwork of the Creator. Every necessary operation and chore has been factored into the design of life and there is beauty in that completeness.
Genesis 1:21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
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