Anna’s Hummingbird : The Large in the Small
Anna’s Hummingbird
This is an Anna’s Hummingbird. This tiny jewel is among the smallest of the birds. Hummingbirds were once even confused with insects! For a sense of scale, early in the morning before it had fully fed, this male would have weighed less than a US nickel coin, not even five grams. But to see it, everything about this bird seems outsized. From the overwhelming beauty of those pink scaly feathers, to the lance of that bill, to the way the eye shares back the rising sun, this wee beastie makes far more of an impression on us than we might expect. And more: hummingbirds are fiercely territorial and will engage with birds substantially larger than themselves. And that long bill, perfect for drinking nectar? It also serves as a finely-honed tool for devouring insects.
We often associate Moses with the grand and expansive. When Moses ascended Mt. Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments, he was there for forty days. And after breaking the first set of tablets, he went back up for another 40 days. Then there were the forty years leading the Israelites through the wilderness. Forty - days or years - represents an extended period, a great span. But what about something small, something tiny? Moses is also the speaker of the Bible’s shortest prayer, “O God, pray heal her!” These aren’t the words of a prince or prophet but a brother. This is Moses the man, pleading with God not to exact retribution against his beloved sister. These five Hebrew words are as clipped as they are poignant. This is a cry of the heart.
Our attention is often drawn by the large and powerful. We focus on personalities who we consider larger than life. Doubtless this makes sense at times, and heroic figures’ accomplishments merit their standing out. But we shouldn’t let the obvious overwhelm our appreciation of the meaningful. The quiet word. The small gesture. The subtle distinction. I have recently seen hawks and eagles, paradigms of avian majesty. Cultivating discernment allows us to appreciate their scale without losing sight of the equal - or greater? - power hidden within smaller packages. Do we feel closer to Moses when he calls down the ten plagues? Or when he begs God to heal his sister? May this Hummingbird remind us of the power and meaning in small packages.
Action Suggestions:
What small gesture can you make today that will disproportionately improve someone’s day?
Replay the last story you told about being pleasantly surprised. Was the surprise something big or something small?
Is there a relationship you could cultivate with just a quick note - 5 words? - instead of remaining silent because talking takes “too much time?”