The most important migratory corridor in north America is deep south Texas.
There is a wonderful documentary on Netflix right now called Birders (2019 short; directed by Otilia Portillo Padua; produced by Gael Garcia Bernal). The film depicts birders on both sides of the border sharing their enthusiasm for and doing research about the diverse bird populations that come through the area. The bird corridor that runs through Deep South Texas is vital for bird populations from Canada to South America. It is a gateway for the ecological well-being of both countries. Thank goodness someone is paying attention to it!
We often think of the U.S.-Mexico border as a line across which we do not want to cross and we do not want others to cross. The sharing of knowledge and concern between birders and scientists of both countries is an amazing gift in an area not known for its spirit of peace and cooperation. Perhaps it is at our own peril that we ignore this corridor for its symbolic as well as ecological value.
In Luke 16 Jesus told the parable of Lazarus and the rich man; the rich man wore purple and feasted every day. He was so preoccupied with his own interests that he never even noticed Lazarus who was poor and covered with sores and who begged at the gate of the city. Had the rich man noticed the poor man it could have changed the trajectory of the rich man’s salvation!
The message of Luke 16 echoes Luke 1:46-56 when Mary sings about her joy at accepting the motherhood of Jesus:
The Lord has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. May we take notice of the needs of those around us and not be so preoccupied with own interests that we miss the joy of crossing over boundaries and borders and roadblocks to discover the value of what is on the other side.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Mary
