The random thoughts of a Christian parrot
I always think that humans outdo even parrots when they gather together in their parliament buildings and squabble. Talk about a cacophony of noise! It can be complete chaos with shrieks, jeers, whistles and all kinds of noises that even a parrot wouldn’t dream of making.
In the British House of Commons, there’s one poor chap that only knows one word, and he yells it out incessantly. “Order, order, order!” A bit of a one trick pony if you ask me. Surely someone, somewhere could teach him a few other words to say?
Photograph: PA
Meanwhile, the pompous, self-righteous squawks and self-adulation carry on, interspersed by aggressive attacks on the opposition. It’s enough to give any half-decent parrot a splitting headache!
And do the words that are said actually mean anything? Promises, justifications, explanations, false expressions of outrage and indignation that tow the party line…... How often is it all a load of froth that amounts to nothing worthwhile?
The words that we speak, the tone in which we say them, and the sincerity of our message, are all vitally important. Because our words can be very powerful. They can lead to trust or distrust; unity or discord; togetherness or separation; love or hatred; peace or conflict; a common sense of purpose or complete anarchy.
Jesus was always very measured in everything that He said. No careless word ever left His lips. He didn’t inflame situations through the choice or the tone of His words. Of course, some people rejected His message, but never His words.
If only humans could be the same. Because they get it wrong all the time. Not only in the House of Commons or the U.S. Senate, but in all walks of life. Uncontrolled emotion, self-righteousness, a lack of tact, bull-headedness, -they all ultimately lead to conflict and strife.
Photograph: Getty Images
Maybe Parliament would be a much better place if it was run by parrots. So I say bring on the new parrot parties! The Cockatories. The Big Beak Democrats. The Green Amazon Party. The African Grey Einstein Party. All in one big feathery coalition, and harmonised at the core by the inclusion of The Love Bird Party. With mutual preening and nut-sharing before every Parliamentary session!
Maybe this is just a pipe-dream, but always remember that there is a better way of going about things than the one we are currently pursuing. And that applies to all walks of life. Sometimes we simply need to be stopped in our tracks so that we step outside the box and see things differently. See how our words and actions impact on the world around us. And ask ourselves what we can do to make things better. How would Jesus have gone about things?
