Eagle vs Chicken

A farmer went out one day and as he was walking his fields, he found a baby bird. The bird was so young that he had no idea what kind of bird it was, but he handed over the care of it to his chickens. As the bird grew, it became pretty evident that it was not a chicken at all, but an eagle. But the funny thing was, the eagle had no idea he was any different.

One day, the farmer’s brother came to visit him from the big city and saw the eagle with the chickens and said, “What is that eagle doing there?” The farmer told his brother, “That’s not an eagle, it’s a chicken.” The brother looked at him incredulously and said, “Don’t you see that is an eagle? That one, there. With the big talons, hooked beak. That’s an eagle”. The brother said, “Oh that one…no he’s a chicken.” To prove it to his brother, the farmer picked up the eagle, set him on his forearm and tried to launch him into the air. The eagle flopped onto the ground and began to hunt and peck for corn pellets with the other chickens around him.

The brother pondered the eagle.

On his next visit, the brother said to his farmer brother, “This is an eagle and I can prove it.” He took the eagle to the top of the farmers barn, climbed out on the to roof and put the eagle on his forearm. He launched the eagle into the air. But the eagle jumped on the roof, and managed to find his way back down to the ground, hunting and pecking again for corn pellets. The farmer gave his brother a chuckle and walked away.

The brother pondered the eagle.

On his next visit, the brother said to his farmer brother again, “This is an eagle and I can prove it”. This time, he took the eagle, and began walking. He walked a long journey with the eagle. He climbed to the highest peak around them. It was a long and difficult climb, but they came to an open expanse where land meets sky. There was nothing but blue all around them.

The brother picked up the eagle and put it on his forearm. This time, before launching the eagle, he whispered, “You are an eagle. You were created to soar. You have been given eyes to see the smallest animals below. You have been given talons to capture animals mid-flight. You have been given wings to carry you farther than you ever believed you could go. You are an eagle.” After he spoke to the eagle, he reached back and launched the eagle as far as he could.

The eagle soared and soared and soared.

When you see the poor, do you see a chicken? Or do you see an eagle?