By Barry Buzza

Last week, I wrote about a dear friend of mine who died a short while ago. I described her love for eagles and the lessons the majestic birds teach us. She had purchased a statue of an eagle a few months before she passed away, to be displayed at the memorial service.

In describing the process of death, the authors of the Bible used various metaphors. I love the one of a departing passenger ship. The crew pulls up the anchor, unties the ropes holding the ship to the dock, raises its sails and everyone waves good-bye.

It's a very fitting metaphor because the passenger ship is not just leaving - it's going somewhere. As sure as those on deck are waving good-bye to their family and friends on shore, they will soon be waving "hello" to others who are waiting for them on the other side.

Other phrases used to describe death in the Bible illicit sports pictures in our minds. "He fought a good fight", makes us think of a boxer who goes ten rounds and finally is victorious. Another is, "she finished the race". When I hear that I think of a relay runner who has successfully completed her laps on time and now is passing the baton to the next runner.

That's the phrase I referred to when speaking at Dinah's funeral. "She finished the race." I love the way she has passed the baton to her two young adult children.

An eagle analogy from Moses' writings fit well into the idea of our privilege of passing the baton to our children. He wrote, "Like an eagle that stirs up its nest; that hovers over its young, he spread his wings and caught them and carried them on his pinions."

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When a mother and father eagle builds their nest high in a tree or on a mountain crag, they construct a very solid frame between five to ten feet wide. The finished net can weigh up to two tons. Then on the floor of their home the parent eagles purposely lay thorns, but cover them with the down from their fallen feathers.

When the baby eaglets are hatched, they are quite light in weight, so the down covered bed easily keeps them warm and comfortable. But as the young birds quickly grow bigger and heavier, their body begins to feel the uncomfortable thorns under the soft down. This happens so the young eaglets will get the idea it's time to try out their wings and fly for the first time.

To help them get outside their comfortable home, daddy or mommy begins to push her young children with their powerful wings, up over the edge of the nest, into the frightening blue sky below.

Finally they go, flapping their growing wings desperately to stay afloat in the air; but inexperienced as they are, the frightened chicks plummet downward. At just the right time - not too soon and not too late, mommy eagle sweeps down at breakneck speed to catch her baby on the top of her massive wings. The eaglet is safe at last as her parent flies her back to the safety of the nest.

Just as the young bird catches her breath, mommy pushes her out again, until finally she learns to swoosh and glide just like her parents. Mom and dad eagle have succeeded in their work, they've taught their child how to fly!

And that's what Dinah did so well with her and Daniel's children. They've passed the baton well. They've successfully taught their children to be mature adults. They've taught them how to fly.

June 11/2009