Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, September 3, 2024
As a child of the West I had good reason to believe there was a conspiracy going on. Every junior bird book I opened to leaf through its pages displayed in lavish colors the red, black, and white of the Red-headed Woodpecker but I never saw one. In fact, adults seemed to refer to all members of this family as belonging to the Red-headed persuasion. Sixty years later I still hear people use that label when referring to a Red-breasted Sapsucker. I have no idea how this species gained such notoriety, but without question it did. Perhaps it was because the name fit so well, a perfect description of its likeness. Its fame certainly wasn’t due to its abundance, for there are many woodpecker species which are much easier to find, even in the East where it resides.
Names have a funny way of attaching themselves to our thinking. Think of all the Bible characters that experienced a name change: Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Gideon, and Paul come to mind, to say nothing of tongue-twisters like Zaphenath-Paneah, a mouthful given to Joseph.
Much has been said about the many names used for God or even the abundance of titles used to describe the person of Jesus. But I like the way the Apostle John refers to his Savior. He reduces it to the basics. III John 7 simply states: “It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans.” (NIV) It was as if no additional information was needed. In truth, John does not always limit himself to such brevity. When writing to the church in Laodicea he says: “…These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.” (Revelation 3:14 NIV) The ruler of God’s creation – that’s pretty all-inclusive; inclusive enough to include all woodpeckers, even Red-headed ones and you and me.