Photo and Commentary (c)2026 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, February 3, 2026
We’ve all seen hummingbirds that looked black until the instant they turned and suddenly they became a ball of glorious color. And of course we understand that is all because of the nature of their specialized feathers which reflect the light. This is because the melanosomes responsible for this in hummingbirds are pancake-shaped and filled with air bubbles, creating a more complex set of surfaces that bounce light off of it producing the iridescence we enjoy. There are however, a handful of hummers that truly are largely black. Among those is the Black-bellied Hummingbird, found only in Costa Rica and Panama.
Its name is appropriate really only for the male since the female’s belly is light gray instead of the black found in the male. Also notice the white outer tail feathers and the rufous patch on the shoulder of the wings that is apparent when folded. The white “frosting” on the forehead adds a subtle finishing touch to this understated hummingbird.
Contrast this with the superlatives the author of Hebrews 1:3 uses in an effort to describe the all-encompassing brilliance of Christ. “The Son is the radiance and only expression of the glory of [our awesome] God [reflecting God’s Shekinah glory, the Light-being, the brilliant light of the divine], and the exact representation and perfect imprint of His [Father’s] essence, and upholding and maintaining and propelling all things [the entire physical and spiritual universe] by His powerful word [carrying the universe along to its predetermined goal]. (Amplified Bible)
This seems to be in direct contrast to the way He chose to present Himself when He walked among men on earth. Perhaps He chose to do this so we wouldn’t be so overcome with His godliness that we wouldn’t be able to appreciate His humanity. Still, won’t it be wonderful to see Him revealed in all of His glory?