From the Archive:
Thought for the Day, by @AndyMallinsonActor Broadcast on BBC Radio Sheffield, Dec 2017.
Christmas Decorations, written and broadcast LIVE by Andy Mallinson.
The other day when I was looking at Christmas decorations, I came across a carved wooden dove. It had a hand painted white body,intricate black eyes and a tiny yellow beak. This dove wasn’t standing on a perch looking pretty. This dove was flying with delicate outstretched wings, with a red envelope in its beak, this got me thinking. “What was in it?” If the envelope contained season’s greetings surely the bird would have been a carrier pigeon and not a dove. I decided that whoever designed and made this decoration, deliberately made a dove, but “Why?”
As you will know the dove is a symbol of peace.
The dove is of course mentioned in the Bible. If you went to Sunday School you will, no doubt, remember the story of Noah and his ark where God floods the Earth to put an end to all people because the Earth was “filled with violence because of them”. Noah we are told was “blameless” and “found favour with God” Noah, on God’s instruction, began building an ark, a giant floating box, and was successful in saving himself and pairs of each of the planet’s animals. After this, Noah then checks if the flood waters are going down by releasing a dove, you will probably remember that the dove returns with an olive leaf in its beak.
If you are wondering how this means that the dove is a symbol of peace, the idea is, that despite all other people constantly being evil, that God saved a few people, to keep the human race going. The dove is a reminder that God could have destroyed all people but his anger reduced along with the flood waters.
You may also know that the dove is also a symbol of making someone clean
In the book of Leviticus, the dove was sacrificed, to make a person spiritually clean in the sight of God. The idea is that humanity needed something to make them clean and a dove served that purpose.
The dove is also a symbol of the spirit of God.
In the Bible, in the first chapter of the book of John, it says:
“...the Holy Spirit descended on him (Jesus) in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
As I understand it, Jesus replaces the sacrificial dove. Jesus becomes the sacrifice. The spirit of peace is effectively Jesus. He makes people clean in God’s sight.
Pictures of these stories and the dove can be seen in many stain glass windows in many churches.
So, back to this ornately crafted, dove decoration. This dove that is a symbol of peace, a symbol of making someone spiritually clean and a symbol of the Spirit of God. It seems that the dove is a fitting Christmas decoration if it reminds us of any of these things.
Could it be that the person who made this decoration was thinking that at Christmas we should send a message of peace to everyone?
I wonder, are you at peace with everyone?
Maybe you have an ongoing problem with a family member or friend. Maybe you have been wrong about something but you are someone who never says sorry.
Maybe there’s someone you have an issue with and you’ve not spoken to in years, and you think about them often but the longer it has been the harder it has got to get back in touch.
Well whatever it is. Why not make today the day, the day where you make the peace.
Why not ‘be the dove’ today and carry your own message of peace. So I challenge you to send an instant message, a text or make a call, it doesn’t need to be a letter. Carry the message of peace today. Carry the peace of the dove. Carry the peace of Christ.
My name is Andy Mallinson. Thanks for listening.
Follow @AndyMallinsonActor on Facebook for more blogs, posts and updates.
Copyright Andy Mallinson 2017.
Comments