The Dove: A symbol of hope

In the Bible, Chapter 8 of Genesis, Noah and his ark float on endless seas. The enormous vessell literally carries the very post-flood "future" of life on earth. With patient faith, the mighty ark's inhabitants are bouyant in their temporary home, drifting day after day upon the endless waters. With diligence, Noah awaits any signs of dry land. It is what they are waiting for most: A sign that they can return to soil -- land & abundant life -- once again.

And so, in verse 8 we find it's the dove Noah gives this task to. I can just imagine how anxious every being on that ark was to return to the normalcy of life on land. It seems their thoughts woud be frequented with hopes that their journey on water would end quite soon. And so, knowing the faithfulness of a dove's very character, the choice was certainly not random. Surely, as the raven returned with nothing, Noah did not need to ponder long at all upon which creature was more suitable for the task. There were most certainly many, many winged creatures he could choose from. Rich in spiritual symbolism, the dove was the perfect choice.

This Bible story is surely one of the most popular for children to learn in Sunday school: Most of us know that the dove returned to the ark with some sort of olive leaves (and thus a sign that trees were beginning to peak above the waters). Those olive leaves must have served the ark's inhabitants as a beacon of hope. The very hope embodied within what those olive leaves meant must have served to bring peace ... and great hope ... to their hearts. Most welcomed news, brought upon the wings of -- or in the beak of -- a dove.