I'm not sure I've ever thought too much about Noah's raven. Most of us remember the dove and the olive leaf. After sending the dove out again, it never came back. That was the sign the great flood was over, for sure.
But before that, Noah initially sent out a raven.
Now, there's no consensus on why there are two birds in the story. That's often a part of Bible study. We don't get answers to every question. There is much we are left to reflect on and wonder about and muse over.
Today, I'm reflecting on the idea that ravens are known to be scavengers. Maybe Noah expects the raven to return with a piece of carcass, suggesting where he was wasn't going to be a good place for him to live after leaving the ark. But a dove brings back an olive leaf. And that was a small enough sign of life.
Ravens can live off what's dead. They hover over old losses and old wreckage. I wonder if we sometimes do the same. We circle old pain and replay old hurts, expecting something good to come out of it. Often, that only leads to resentment, bitterness, hostility, or prolonged grief. It's understandable why we do it, but it's not healing and it traps us to the pain of yesterday.
The olive leaf is a gentle promise for today. It's not a whole tree. In itself, it isn't full restoration. But it is just enough, a piece of proof that God is already working. When the dove brought the piece, the text says that "then Noah knew." Maybe that's our invitation to know as well. To pay attention to the small signs of life God sends our way. Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.
When we learn to look for those little pieces, we begin to "know" hope again. We begin to recognize God's renewal, and trust that the flood isn't the end of the story.
