Mary (And Joseph’s) Brood
And there were in the same
ocean, mouth brooders, abiding in the sea, keeping watch over their children by
night.
This jawfish dad has a mouth
full of babies! Talk about a caring
father. Many fish are “mouth brooders,”
often the dads. Those circles with white
eyes – that’s his brood of babies. For a
week or more after he and mom have created fertile eggs, dad holds the brood,
gently, safely, inside his mouth. Periodically he carefully opens up so the
babies can aerate and eat a little, then closes up for safety. And no food for dad during this gestation
week.
We think “to brood” only means
to be a grumpy or anxious worrier. But
the original meaning is, like “breed,” to sit on (like a hen) or hold carefully
your “brood” of fragile young until they can live on their own.
I thought all fish reproduced
by “broadcasting” their young, just shoot egg and sperm out into the water and
hope they meet. End of parenting.
But this jawfish taught me
that brooders are slower, more patient and gentle. Their broods are smaller than the
broadcasters’ but more likely to survive.
I’ve been sharing various
“ocean birth narratives” in these weekly posts during this Advent season as
part of my Blue Theology Ocean ministry.
The whole universe is groaning with new birth this season; maybe whales
or molly fish (last week) can show us how pregnantly possible is all of
creation.
In the Christmas story new
life comes from both broadcasters and brooders.
Angels shout from the heavens, shepherds glorify and praise God for all
they have heard and seen. Broadcast and
shout out the good news and it will spread and take root.
At our Blue Theology retreats
here on Monterey Bay for youth and adults we tell parables of these broadcasted
multitudes; a fish goes forth to spawn, the prodigal spawner.
But we also preach the good
news of brooding, how we are led beside the still waters, our souls restored by
the spirit hovering over the deep.
Rereading this other birth narrative, I see that Mary is a brooder, pondering, treasuring these things in her heart. Joseph too, I imagine, like these mouth brooders, a dad come later to parenting, is just as caring and gentle with his brood. And both of them, like all parents, sacrifice their own needs for those of their brood. (Which can involve a little brooding of the anxious sort!)
Rereading this other birth narrative, I see that Mary is a brooder, pondering, treasuring these things in her heart. Joseph too, I imagine, like these mouth brooders, a dad come later to parenting, is just as caring and gentle with his brood. And both of them, like all parents, sacrifice their own needs for those of their brood. (Which can involve a little brooding of the anxious sort!)
And there were in the same
ocean, mouth brooders, abiding in the sea, keeping watch over their children by
night. Blessed new birth to all holy
brooders.
_____________
Plan for a Blue Theology
Retreat by Monterey Bay in 2018! We are
booking youth groups, adult or intergenerational groups, and guided personal
retreats, all year round.
Bluetheology.com
No comments:
Post a Comment