Bird Droppings July 9, 2026

Over the years, I have found that religion is what you make of it.

“A poor devotee points to the sky and says, ‘God is up there.’ An average devotee says, ‘God dwells in the heart as the Inner Master.’ The best devotee says, ‘God alone is, and everything I perceive is a form of God.’” Ramakrishna

Ramakrishna was a spiritual leader in India in the early and mid-1800s. He believed in the unity of God, the oneness of existence, the divinity of all living things, and the harmony of religions. He felt religion was simply a means to accomplish a goal. I receive numerous inspirational emails each morning, and this quote from a Hindu email struck me. How often do we want to place our faith somewhere away, up there, out there, anywhere but here?

“We also have a religion which has been given to our forefathers, and has been handed down to us their children. It teaches us to be thankful, to be united, and to love one another! We never quarrel about religion.” Red Jacket, Seneca orator

“We know that the God of the educated and the God of the child, the God of the civilized and the God of the primitive, is after all the same God; and that this God does not measure our differences but embraces all who live rightly and humbly on the earth.” Ohiyesa, Dr. Charles Alexander Eastman, Santee Sioux

I have seen many philosophical similarities between Eastern thought and Native Peoples’ beliefs and philosophies. Not trying to advertise, but a good inspirational book, “The Wisdom of the Native Americans,” Edited by Kent Nerburn, is a collection of thoughts and ideas that can give a wonderful insight into a new day.

I drove around and watched the sunrise this morning, now sitting and listening as the light came into the world, with a slow-rising plume of smoke from a sage leaf as a companion. I wish I were more awake; a writing binge the other night kept me up all night, making it harder to start today. But at each noise I heard and am hearing this morning, the sounds are impressive. Late at night, a loud bird was singing off in the distance, and a few doves were still cooing and calling as I headed to bed. At two this morning, owls and whippoorwills joined in, along with a few tree frogs. At six or so this morning, it was a chorus of crickets, frogs, birds, and who knows what else, nearly melodic, though I have a feeling it may have been so loud that it was what woke me up.

I recall almost ten years ago going by the school today to sort and clean my old room, move critters to the house, and work on research for various graduate school projects and several other projects I am working on. I had been developing my own collection of writings for several years and, as a break, spent a few moments working on those as well. Mornings are a good time for me to think and write, as my thought processes seem sharper. One of my “friends” tells me it is old age, as by afternoon I tend to forget names and what I was working on.

As I opened my emails over the past days, I read through and sorted, deleting spam and junk messages, and I recall that a few years back one caught my attention. It has been many years since I was youth director of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Macon, Georgia. I had my twenty-third birthday in that capacity so many years ago, over fifty years ago now. Sitting on my desk at the house is a Living Bible I received as a birthday gift; as I look back, how appropriate its name is. This book is alive with notes, thoughts, pictures from people along the way, even phone numbers and underlined verses, with various kids’ autographs as they selected their favorites.

Occasionally I will open this old bible and spill out the tidbits and reflect on days gone by, on how philosophies changed and evolved. It has been several years since I called one of the numbers in the inside cover written over fifty years ago. Back then, Katharine was a high school student and a regular in our group. She is the one who gave me that bible for my birthday those many years ago. That call was a spur-of-the-moment thought. I found that she was in Europe at that time, doing work for a mission board based in Africa.

I received another email from her about ten years ago, asking me not to email Bird Droppings to her every day, as her computer’s limits get maxed out so easily when traveling in third-world countries.

“I am in Dili, East Timor now, still working with Catholic Relief Services. In this rather “gypsy” life I lead of moving in and out of remote and often isolated places, it is very nice to know that I still have links with people I have known for more than 30 years. However, as happens, in this life we also face challenges with email communication …  I love getting the Bird Droppings daily, but with the very limited access we have here to send, download, and receive, I am afraid that I am going to have to ask you to take me off your listserv.  I can only get to email about once a week, and downloading large documents that come daily does slow down the whole system. I work and pray daily for peace and healing… please hold that thought for me. A note now and then would be fine and appreciated. Wishing you all the best and peace.” Katherine Pondo

I often speak of the puzzle of our lives falling into place piece by piece, each little intricate facet interconnecting with the next. Today, as I sit writing and thinking of all the pieces over the years, all the lives that have intertwined, I offer this morning that when you get a chance, keep the Katherine Pondos of the world in your hearts and thoughts, as often they are on the front lines of humanity’s trials and tribulations. Looking back over my wanderings today, this is a small world, and we so often try to segregate, delegate, and relegate beliefs. In recent years, religion has sparked political battles and upheavals. I honestly do not think Ramakrishna, as he thought of harmony among religions, would have foreseen the drama and often fighting that exists because of religion. So today, please, as always, keep those in harm’s way on your mind and in your hearts, and always give thanks. Namaste.

My family and friends, I do not say this lightly,

Mitakuye Oyasin

(We are all related)

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