Fly

Isaiah 40:27-31 (NRSV)

Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and strengthens the powerless.
Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted;
but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.

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I want to fly like an eagle
To the sea
Fly like an eagle
Let my spirit carry me
I want to fly like an eagle
Till I'm free
Oh, Lord, through the revolution

"Fly Like an Eagle" by Steve Miller, 1976

Flight, it has captivated humanity since the first birds took to the air. The majesty of flight has made us imagine taking to the skies since the times when we jumped off of the picnic table wearing a blanket for a cape. If you didn't jump from the picnic table, surely you jumped on the stairs, off the bed, or off of some sort of playground equipment. It's only human to want to take flight. It's only physiology and gravity that prevents it.

We imagine the V of geese flying across the skies. Hearing the honks, seeing the formation. They fly that way so that the goose at the head does the lion's share of the work. The rest draft behind the one in front like a line of cars at Daytona, but without a pit crew.

The geese fly as a team, one counting on the next to keep the formation to make the way easier for the rest of the gaggle. Then, the lead goose will drop back into the formation, and a new leader will take the point. This way, a stronger goose is always in the front. This way, they lift one another.

Isaiah assures the nation of Israel that they will be lifted , they shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. They will be supported by the head of the church, the Lord God. The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. God will not grow weary, They will be strengthened by the power of God.

Such a promise does not come without great responsibility. We are lifted to freedom. But even freedom in God comes with a price. Think of it as "No One Left Behind."

Feed the babies who don't have enough to eat. Shoe the children with no shoes on their feet. House the people livin' in the street. This is the mission, this is our vocation, to take the Word of God into the world not just by our voice, but with our hands. Oh, oh, this is the solution.