THE STORY OF PASSENGER PIGEONS

The Passenger Pigeon is arguably North America's best known extinct species. It is estimated that the Passenger Pigeon was once the most abundant land bird in North America, comprising an estimated 3 billion to 5 billion individuals. It lived in huge numbers and in huge flocks. In many ways it was like humans because it enjoyed the company and companionship of other Passenger Pigeons.

The Passenger Pigeons always followed a leader. Their leader would scout out a place for them to nest and they would all follow that leader to the place the leader selected. The leader would make certain that every bird had a place on the tree, and that each bird was welcomed in to the new location. None of the birds would find a new place to nest as long as there was room for one more on the tree someplace. They were so friendly with each other that thousands of them would nest in the same tree, weighing it down, to the point that they overloaded the tree and it would collapse and kill them.

 

Frequently, the food or water supply would run low or give out. Yet, not one bird would leave the tree for fear of leaving one of the other birds behind and losing one of their friends. Unless the Leader Pigeon moved on, none of the Passenger Pigeons would move on. Over time, the Leaders of the Passenger Pigeons became so attached to the flock that they would rarely move at all for fear of losing one of the other birds.

 

When hunters figured this out they knew the bird’s weakness and they would capture a Passenger Pigeon and tie its legs together with a string and then tie the string to a stool. When other Passenger Pigeons would fly over, the hunters would pull on the string to make the captured Pigeon dance about. The flock would see the captured Pigeon jumping around and because they were so friendly and loved to be with their own kind they would land to be with it. Once the birds landed the hunters only had to walk among the birds and hit them with clubs to kill them.

 

Despite its vast flocks, this pigeon was extinct in the wild by the end of the nineteenth century over a period of 40 years. How was it possible than in a little more than 40 years the Passenger Pigeon could become extinct?

 

The Hard facts are:

The Passenger Pigeon could not adapt to new environments and changing situations around them.

 

They were un-willing to allow new birds to join their established flock.

 

The Leader Pigeons were unable to change the way that the flock was led and thus allowed the leader to be manipulated into destroying the very flock that they loved.

 

Most of our lives resemble these passenger pigeons unwilling to come out of the same old rusty life we have been used to – from the bondage of old sinful ways resisting every attempt of change that comes our way.

 

If you keep on sinning, you are but ploughing iniquity, sowing vanity, and reaping the same.

 

Keep hanging onto the same old patterns of life and expecting a different result is foolishness.

 

Friend, YOU have a choice today. YOU can either be like the Passenger Pigeons who were unable and unwilling to change OR decide to come out of your shell leaving your old sinning ways to accept the change God wants to give you today - to lead you to a live a life of holiness and abundance in Christ. Choice is obviously yours!!!

 

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