"Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, ‘In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, “Grant me justice against my opponent.” For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, “Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.” ’ And the Lord said, ‘Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?’
If you have ever had a bird feeder you know that it is also a squirrel feeder.
We have a nice feeder in our front yard hanging from a tree limb by the front window so we could watch the cardinals, blue birds and wrens … and my squirrel ... .flit in and out feasting off the wild bird seed. Squirrel would flagrantly muscle in and get most of the seeds, so I decided to squirrel-proof the feeder. I trimmed away branches that the she jumped from. I lengthened the wire the feeder was hanging from. I put metal shingles on the roof of the feeder so the squirrel couldn’t dig her claws into the wood and hang down to lap up the seeds.
It worked for a while. Then, as I sat watching through the window I saw the squirrel try hanging down from the branch above the feeder. But she couldn’t reach it because the wire was too long. She carefully gauged the distance she’d have to jump from other branches and decided she couldn’t jump safely. Then she sat on the branch above the feeder, looked in the window directly at me. She barked and chitted and furiously flicked her tail for about five minutes. For two days I watched her try new strategies. With each failure she’d look in the window at me, bark, chit, and flick her tail. I confess that a couple of times I even chased her away.
Then she tried a new approach. I watched her get on the feeder by carefully sliding headfirst down the wire. I don’t know how she got a grip on my metal shingles, but she gently lowered herself over the side of the feeder and feasted. All the while keeping a watchful eye on me. I thought that she was smirking too.
I greatly respect her persistence . . . as well as the squirrel chiding (cussing?) I got from her.
I was amazed as I watched her watch me while she enjoy the bird’s snack. I was also glad that her persistence paid off. I sat very still so I wouldn’t spook her away from her reward. When she left I put out some extra squirrel-bird seed not only in the bird-squirrel feeder but also on the window ledge where she could easily get it. I vowed to rehang the feeder to make it easier for my new friend. Then I closed my eyes and asked God to bless Squirrel as well as the birds.
As I got quiet to say the blessing I heard Jesus’ parable of the widow who relentlessly petitioned the judge for justice. Yes. For Squirrel I repented, relented, and responded in part because of what I thought of as her chiding insistence. And I blessed her feasting because I admired her widow-like bothering me and persistence which led to the change in my heart.
I take a two-fold lesson from the end of this parable. The first is to pray without ceasing and to trust that God will provide. In the parable Jesus scolded the disciples: “ . . . will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them?” (Luke 18: 7). God provides for us and gives us plenty, mercy, and justice because that is God’s nature. . . not because of our crying out. Yet, it is our job to pray and ask for God’s help. I find that asking for God’s help in prayer helps me.
The second lesson comes from Jesus’ conclusion: “. . . when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke: 18. 8) Squirrel didn’t have faith in me. She was just a squirrel and she wanted her bird seed. But we Christians CAN have faith. We must have faith. That is God’s Gift to us through our relationship and experience with Jesus and each other. “When two or three are gathered in my name, I am there...” For me that faith is strengthened through our time together as people of faith in prayer, in quiet meditation, in reading holy scripture, in receiving the Sacraments. And, for me, in learning the lessons that Squirrel can teach me.
Musical Reflection The Irish Blessing
Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
-Book of Common Prayer p. 234
