A grey Imperial Pigeon happened to make a stop over during its flight movement in our garden this morning. It gave us a 360 degree view of its abundantly beautiful complexion and graceful body movement. There was something serene and eye catching about this rather uncommon sighting. Its look, bright eyes, elegant posture and body contour captured us to adore it. Some birds are exquisite in their appearance an behaviour.
It was probably a pigeon that Noah trusted to test whether the blood had receded after he and his family along with wild life were floating in an ark during an unprecedented flood according to the Old Testament Biblical narrative of the flood. The first pigeon sent out returned finding trees still under water. The second one after few days did not return. That was when Noah decided to embark on returning to the land.
For this reason and several other reasons, pigeons represent larger symbolic meanings. In the New Testament narration, there is a description of a dove descending in the scene at the time when Jesus of Nazareth was baptised. The dove is a symbol of peace. On every occasion, when peace has to be articulated and announced, a pigeon would be a visible symbol.
I remember an incident described by a friend, when a guest at a meeting was handed over a pigeon to release at the occasion of a peace rally. When he released it, it did not fly away, but dropped to the ground. He seems to have strangulated the pigeon between the time he was handed over the pigeon and released it from his hold between his palms.
I have had many memories returning to me, while visited by this pigeon for a few minutes. Anna and I used to take our children Trafalgar Square in London for watching hundreds of pigeon of all colours, in the open ground, fed by hundreds of visitors. We would have visited that place to watch that magnificent sight several times during our stay in London in 1986.
A pigeon is a symbol of peace!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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