On Eagle's Wings

This past Tuesday was Independence Day, the day we celebrated our declaration of our independence from England 247 years ago. As we discussed last week, it was our new beginning for the 13 colonies to be known as America. The American flag with its thirteen alternating red and white stripes, and a blue field with 13 white stars in the upper left corner left corner was designed as our representative flag, under which numerous battles would be fought before Lord Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown in October 1781. The flag would change in appearance over the years as the 13 colonies became the United States of America, and other states were added. Its appearance might change, but never the freedom it stood for.

Then in 1782, the American bald eagle was chosen as our national bird to be an iconic symbol of our freedom. It was chosen for its strength, long life, and its majestic beauty as it soared the skies in total freedom. In the wild, a bald eagle will live 30-35 years, and up to 50 years in captivity. A full-grown bald eagle has a wingspan of up to 7 feet, and will weigh as much as 15 lbs. They’ve been clocked at 65 mph in level flight, and diving speed of 150-200 mph!

Although similar to the American bald eagle, the golden eagle was the iconic symbol of Rome. Rome’s focus was on the strength, fearlessness, and power of that eagle. Its sharp, curved beak allowed it to tear its prey apart, and its razor sharp talons could grasp its enemy firmly as it pierced its flesh. But this young nation was less focused on the attacking capability of the eagle to destroy an enemy, and more on the total freedom seen in the eagle’s flight over this vast new land. The bald eagle, with its beauty, strength, and freedom, a look of fierce wisdom, and native to this land, made it an ideal icon to symbolize this new country, a land of hope for those coming to America seeking freedom.

But more than just a symbol of our history and our freedoms, the eagle also offers some interesting insights into the nature of our God. The eagle is mentioned several times in the Bible to symbolize God, focusing on its majesty, rather than its fierce nature. It’s seen as the king of birds, just as our God is the king of kings. The eagle is seen as strong and protective, able to gracefully soar higher than any other bird. Under God’s strong, protective wings, our spirits can soar as free as eagles. In Isaiah 40, the prophet speaks of God as “the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth…Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles.”

Several other characteristics of the eagle parallel the majesty of our God. An eagle seldom flies by flapping its wings, because doing so quickly exhausts it. Instead, it uses its huge wingspan made up of over 1,250 feathers, separated at the tips like the fingers of a guiding hand, to soar gracefully and effortlessly for hours over the land, using existing wind currents and updrafts. The Holy Spirit has often been called the Breath of God, that becomes the wind beneath our wings. But if we try to fly, flapping our own spiritual wings or relying on our own strength, instead of depending on the Holy Spirit, we will find life relatively exhausting and our abilities severely limited. When we let His Holy Spirit lift us to soar effortlessly above the storms of life, we become the creations He intends us to be.

The eagle has amazing eyesight. In its apparent effortless flight, it can focus on opportunities as well as danger. It can telescopically see predators, as well as prey, at long distances, but has also almost microscopic vision in its ability to see dangers or threats close at hand. It can see a distant fish just below a surface of water, go into a dive, and make a precision strike to grasp the fish with its powerful talons. It can also spot a hidden snake maneuvering quietly toward its nest, and launch a preemptive strike. Our God also has amazing vision from His eternal vantage point. He sees us from afar or near, knows approaching dangers as well as our daily needs. He even sees within us, our feelings and our heart, our joys and our tears.

An eagle’s ability to fly so completely free, higher than any other bird, might give it a godlike… perhaps even an aloof…aura. The gods of other religions, from Muslim to Buddhist, are aloof and maintain a distance from their followers. But, our God, like the eagle, has a tender, protective presence with His children. Eagles are faithful to each other, like our God is to us, and partner for life. An established pair will build their nest at elevations higher than other birds. Such height, along with their keen eyesight, gives them a strategic vantage point. Just as our God uses His eternal materials to build our spiritual lives, the eagle uses its keen eyesight and powerful talons to find and transport sturdy building materials to build their long lasting nests. Over time, some nests become enormous, reaching a diameter of 9 feet and weighing as much as 2 tons. But they’ll use that nest for many years. Once the nest is securely built, it’s made very comfortable and protective, using the fur of the animals killed for food, like rabbits, or down from birds, to line it. The female lays 2 or 3 eggs at a time, and both parents share the incubation and guarding the eaglets against predators. While the chicks are small, the parents move about the nest with their talons balled up into fists to avoid harming them. Like our God, the eagle is tender and protective toward its children despite its size and power.