March 26, 2008
Liturgies
A friend of ours has one of these postage-stamp gardens outside her condominium back door, complete with birdbath and feeder. The birds come and go, altogether lackadaisical to her presence.
A mockingbird and a cardinal have built nests there. One in a bush, the other in a vine, clearly visible and accessible, not just to them, but to anyone who cares to look.
The cardinal’s is a masterwork of architecture, symmetrical, each tiny twig and bits of silken stuff fitting together precisely, as if straight off some avian genetic blueprint. The mockingbird’s is a picture of fractal chaos, casually thrown together, barely adequate for any potential occupants, seeming as if it might collapse for anything other than a soft landing.
The cardinal has one song. The mockingbird’s repertoire is unlimited, some say even to mimicking a cell phone. Given the order and structure of its home, the cardinal seems quite appropriately named. On the other hand, the mockingbird must surely be an Anglican. Is it any wonder the music of our liturgies?
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