Solitary Sandpiper : A Question of Struggle

This is a Solitary Sandpiper. I know that only because I asked expert bird folks. More accurately, I was confident at the time it was a sandpiper; I just had zero idea which of the seemingly indistinguishable species it is. Sandpipers, even for experts, are far more challenging than many other groups of birds to ID. The differences between species are subtle and often hard to observe in the field. Complicating things: juveniles look different than adults, and adults have different plumage at different times of the year. These birds are often understood in degree rather than kind: a slightly longer bill, a warmer brown color, a stockier body. Those of us in the Blue Jay versus Cardinal stage of differentiation marvel at the sandpiper mavens.

The Bible tells two fascinating stories of Jacob/Israel, both involving misidentification. Jacob secures his father’s primary blessing, the blessing of the firstborn, by disguising himself as his elder brother. Jacob’s almost comical ruses seemingly are enough to fool Isaac. Later Jacob indentures himself to earn Rachel’s hand. But even after seven years of obsessive labor, he’s fooled into marrying her elder sister instead. Elsewhere the Bible depicts family strife - sibling rivalry, challenging marriages - with tremendous fidelity, true human insight. But both these episodes seem ridiculous and obviously implausible. Yet there they are. Either these are wildly inapt misplacements, or they are subtle lessons meriting closer study.

It is temptingly easy to dismiss tough questions. “Just Google it.” Or ask the experts. Or ignore it altogether. Alternatively, struggle. Struggle to understand the details. Struggle to understand the nuance. Struggle to understand why what seems preposterous is in fact vital and real. Perhaps these stories of Jacob - whose name is changed to Israel, meaning “struggle!” - are intended to disrupt our easy resonance with other family depictions. Israel’s events make us scratch our heads and wonder, which is precisely the point. “Surely there’s more to this story than the surface,” we think. Indeed. Embracing hard questions, whether the identity of a Sandpiper, or the inexplicable confusion of Israel’s relations, is a lesson we profit to learn.