Parrots and Pigeons

“And He said, ‘Go, and tell this people: “Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.”’”
— Isaiah 6:9

A man walks into a bar with a parrot on his shoulder. The bartender was concerned and asks, “Is he trained?” The parrot responds, “I am, but I’m not sure about him.”

1 John 4:1 warns us, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Yet, we don’t. It takes time and effort to test the spirits. It takes study and dedication to “work out your own salvation” (Philippians 2:12). It takes courage to KNOW where you stand and what you believe.

It is much easier to be a parrot or a pigeon.

Parrots, for all the value they have to produce amusement and jokes, don’t actually know anything. However, if you spend enough time with them, they can learn to mimic words and phrases. They can immediately respond to prompts with coined phrases that elicit wonder at their abilities. But question them further and you will descend into a babbling chant without substance. However, at least they have to learn to speak the phrases.

Pigeons on the other hand (homing pigeons, I mean), don’t even have to learn the words. They simply fly to their point of origin with a message strapped to their leg. Not knowing what it says, much less what it means.

We are a country filled with parrots and pigeons, and more pigeons than parrots. We are a people who “keep on hearing, but don’t understand.” We want a hero. We want to echo someone who says things we agree with in eloquent ways. More than that, with social media, we revel in the fact that we don’t even have to figure out how to say the message ourselves. All we have to do is hit the share button and carry the message home to our friend group. No understanding. No perception.

I speak and write often. Never do I feel more insecure than when someone quotes me. I often feel they missed the point. I strive not to provide the answer. I work diligently to raise the question in hopes that God will provide a greater answer in their life.

Over the past week, it has become obvious to me we are building roosts of parrots and pigeons rather than disciples. People who do not think for themselves. Who do not search diligently for their own understanding. People who at best parrot what others say or, even worse, become the flying rat of a pigeon and transmit a message they don’t understand nor truly believe (but it sure gets the “likes”).

Great teachers will never teach you what to say or how to say it. They will challenge you to ask great questions and develop understanding. As 2 Timothy 2:2 says, “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit this to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” It is way beyond agreeing with a message. Understanding is not memorization or parroting quotes. It is developing a knowledge base which enables you to teach others.

We were not called to be parrots or pigeons. For them, all the world is a toilet for their deposits. We were called to be men and women who think. People who struggle for truth and contemplate. Cherished individuals who strive to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18)

In the end, the only thing you say that matters is what you fully believe in your heart. Everything else is bird poop! As Romans 10:10 states, “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

Right before this Paul stated in Romans 10:2-3, “For I bear witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.”

In others words, we should all take account of the words we are sharing with others. Are they formulated from an understanding of God’s righteousness or are they an attempt to create an image of our own? Do we truly believe what we share? Or do we just think what others share is “right”? Have we found our own voice which is built on knowledge and led by God?

We are called to share the Bread of Life. However, far too often, Poli- just wants a cracker (poli- here meaning the public or city). May it never be so with me.

I pray each of us would grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ today. That we would earnestly seek knowledge into who He is and who we are called to be in Him. That we would not be content to share the thoughts of others. No matter how great they are, they cannot replace who God called you to be. Rather, I pray, we would fall at the feet of the Great Teacher, be open to learning, and have the courage to share only the knowledge we find there.

© 2025 Warren Martin. All rights Reserved.