Sr. Susan
Barber, liturgist at the Mount, has encouraged us to picture our chanting together
as having a shape. The image that comes to my mind is a great flock of starlings
that fly together in a whirling, ever-changing pattern, called a “murmuration.”
As noted at the
Wonderopolis Web site, “As they fly, the starlings in a murmuration seem
to be connected together. They twist and turn and change direction at a
moment's notice…. Scientists believe murmurations are similar to other systems,
such as crystals forming, avalanches, metals becoming magnetized and liquids
turning to gases. These systems are “on the edge,” which means they’re ready to
be completely transformed in an instant. Like the elements of these other
systems, each starling in a murmuration is connected to
every other starling…. Regardless of the size of the murmuration, all
the birds seem to be connected to the same network.”
Although St.
Benedict warned us against murmuring, to be part of a murmuration appears to be
central to our lives as Christians! A murmuration perfectly describes the body
of Christ, where each person is connected to and accompanies every other person
on the twists and turns of life’s journey. To be part of the Christian “system”—that
is, the kingdom of God—we must be ready to engage in complete transformation at
all times through obedience to each other. And the potential size of the body is
limitless because all the individuals are connected to the same network, which is Christ.
Just as we
marvel at seeing a murmuration, we can take joy in the movement of the Spirit
within the body of Christ, which leads to the beauty of unity and
transformation, whether in song or in other aspects of our life together.
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