"Sometimes I think it should be a rule of war that you have to see somebody up close and get to know him before you can shoot him." ~M*A*S*H, Colonel Potter

The feeder hangs in front of our kitchen window, and I watch them in awe every time we sit down at the table to eat.  The hummingbirds.  Our feeder has four holes - it is quite capable of serving four hummingbirds at any given time.  And yet, they fight.  Sometimes they spend so much time trying to keep each other away from the feeder, that it appears they actually feed very little.

This behavior fascinates me, so I did some reading about hummingbirds.  As observed, hummingbirds are not very social at all - they live very solitary lives, coming together only to mate.  Their mating ritual typically takes four seconds, after which the female will build a nest to care for her young, while the male leaves to pursue other interests.  Hummingbirds are very aggressive, and will fight each other to protect their "territory."  Female hummingbirds will become quite aggressive toward any male who approaches her nest.

Solitary.  Alone.  And while God created them this way for a purpose, from a human perspective, it is quite sad.  When we are sitting at our kitchen table observing their aggressiveness toward each other, I often say to Jeff, "Why can't they just get along?"

In stark contrast to our backyard hummingbird friends, we have two other feeders that contain birdseed, and these feeders are frequented by several Red Cardinals.  These birds behave quite differently - sometimes we will see three or more birds perched on one feeder, sharing a meal together.

Further reading on Cardinals was fascinating as well.  I learned that Cardinal pairs mate for life, and stay together year-round.  During their courtship, the male will bring food to the female and feed her beak to beak.  After mating, this feeding ritual often continues while the eggs are in the nest.  Cardinal couples sometimes sing together before nesting, and when building the nest, they also work together - the male will bring materials to the female, and she will do most of the building.  As many as four broods can be raised each year, with the male caring for and feeding the young offspring as the female incubates the next brood.

Which bird am I more like?  I have to admit, sometimes it's easier to be a hummingbird - to retreat into my own little world, to be combative, to protect my "territory," and to always be looking at others with a skeptical eye, wondering what they are after.  But being a Cardinal is so much more rewarding.  Yes, it comes with risks - I can be rejected or get hurt, or even be taken advantage of.  But I will also enjoy rich relationships, as my life is filled with other people and their love.

Being a cardinal takes time and effort.  I like the quote that I used as the title of this blog entry - isn't it true that it's a lot easier to "shoot" someone that we don't "see up close" or "get to know"?  We often criticize or judge someone when we have no idea what is going on in their world.  We dart around in attack mode, assigning motives, perhaps thinking they are out to get us, when in reality they are just trying to survive like we all are.

My last several entries here have been about relationships, and I continue to write about that because it is so important.  We can't be hummingbirds and be pleasing to God.  If my research is correct, there are 59 "one another" passages in the New Testament.  Here's a small sampling:

“…Be at peace with each other.” (Mark 9:50)

 “…Wash one another’s feet.” (John 13:14)

 “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love…” (Romans 12:10)

“…Honor one another above yourselves. (Romans 12:10)

“Live in harmony with one another…” (Romans 12:16)

“…Love one another…” (Romans 13:8)

“…Stop passing judgment on one another.” (Romans 14:13)

“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you…” (Romans 15:7)

“…Instruct one another.” (Romans 15:14)

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:21)

“…In humility consider others better than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3)

And repeatedly in the Gospel of John and the first Epistle of John, the phrase "love one another" is used.  Over and over again.  I cannot do this if my focus is solely on myself.

Be a cardinal.  Interact with others.  Welcome someone into your "nest."  Sing.  Share a meal.  Get to know others, especially in your church family - I mean REALLY get to know them.  You will be blessed, and God will be pleased.