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The Lonely Jungle Babbler

Every day it comes, and pecks at the glass panel of the window of my study. It is a Jungle Babbler, a very common bird in the Indian subcontinent. It dances flying up and down and fluttering its wings. Sometimes, three or four times a day it repeats this ritual. I thought it is trying to get into my room or fly through as it can see the other side. But why does it keep coming, can't it make out after three or four attempts that it can't fly through? 

I told my Neighbor, whom I consider an expert on birds, about this winged visitor. She explained that the babbler is pecking at its own reflection, thinking that it is another bird. I thought of verifying her suggestion. The following day I kept the window half open, drawing one panel fully open. The babbler came as usual. Perched on the window, looked into my room through the open panel but did not enter the room or peck. But it moved to the side of the window where there is glass and started pecking on the glass and dancing. So, I my Neighbor is right, it was pecking at its own reflection, thinking it is another bird. 

The Jungle Babblers are found in flocks of seven; that is why they are called "Sath Bhai" in Hindi, or "seven sisters" in English. But this Babbler moves around alone, not in a flock. Maybe it is an outcast. It may be searching for a friend or a flock to belong to. It comes many times a day, hoping to lure its image to join his company. Poor lonely Babbler. 

Loneliness is a terrible thing, to be alone, having no one to belong to. God pitied the man he created and said to himself that, "it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him” (Genesis 2:18). So, God made a female companion for the first man. The institution of marriage is seen as God's remedy for loneliness. But not all humans get married, there are lots of singles, many widows and widowers as well. Loneliness prevails. 

Human beings are social. God intended that they live in the company of each other. Loneliness creates distress and meaninglessness. Like the lonely Jungle Babbler, we are looking for someone to belong to as we live in an increasingly individualist world. All that many of us can see is only our image and nobody else. That sinks us further into loneliness and depression. 

One way of beating loneliness is to experience the presence of God in our lives. The indwelling Holy Spirit enables us to experience the presence of God. Jesus promised us the Holy Spirit who will be with us "forever." Through his Spirit, Christ is present with us as he promised that he is with us till the end of the world. A person who holds on to the promises of God could be alone, but not lonely. 

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