A Backyard Full of Peace

Deb and I have been trying to get rid of some birds in our backyard. That might seem a bit odd since we spent a lot of money on birdfeeders and seed to attract birds to our backyard. For weeks now the feeders have been emptied almost daily by a flock of White Winged Doves. We have thought of them as a nuisance because they seem to deter more colorful and interesting birds like Cardinals and Finches. We have even tried to buy feed that the doves would not like, but still they come in flocks everyday to our backyard.

The other morning as I was sitting on our back porch sipping a cup of coffee watching all those doves in our yard it occurred to me that doves are a symbol of peace. In the biblical tradition Noah sends out a dove to determine if the flood is over and the dove brings back an olive branch as a sign of God’s love and forgiveness. In the New Testament the Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus at his baptism in the form of a dove proclaiming his beloved status as God’s child.

In Greek mythology the dove is a symbol of love and renewal of life while in Japan a dove carrying a sword is a symbol for the end of war. There was a belief in Europe that if a dove was flying around the home of a dying person their soul would be at peace.