Dr Vassilia Orfanou, PhD, Post Doc
The Parable Series
“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” — 1 Corinthians 12:27
In a lush and living jungle, far beyond the paths of men, there thrived a wild kingdom—a world of color and song, strength and silence. The animals who lived there were many, and no two were the same.
The lion ruled with calm authority, his presence quiet but commanding. The eagle soared far above, seeing what others could not. The monkey danced through the trees, spreading laughter like falling fruit. The parrot spoke truth in bursts of bright color. The elephant remembered the old ways. And the ant—small and easy to miss—labored with quiet devotion, carrying ten times its weight to nourish the earth.
They all shared the same forest, drank from the same rivers, slept under the same sky. And yet, over time, they began to forget something important: that they were part of one another.
The lion believed power was purpose. The eagle thought only those who could soar were meant to lead. The monkey, always in motion, scoffed at stillness. The elephant held the past so tightly, he feared the future. And the ant, though faithful, sometimes wondered if she was invisible.
Still, the jungle went on—until one year, something changed.
The Storm and the Nest
Without warning, a storm rose like none they had ever seen. Thunder cracked the sky wide open. Winds tore through the canopy, pulling vines from ancient roots. Rain fell for days. When the clouds finally cleared, the jungle was still—but something had shifted.
High in a tree that once cradled generations, a simple bird’s nest had fallen. It was not large. It held no jewels, no prize. But it was empty. And in its emptiness, it called to something deep within the animals.
The parrot was the first to find it—muddy, broken, half-buried in the earth. She sang a soft, unfamiliar song and perched beside it in silence. The tiger came next. He crouched nearby, guarding the space. The elephant, hearing of the fallen nest, began to gather branches—not to build the old nest back, but to create shelter around it. Even the proud eagle flew low, laying a feather near the edge in quiet reverence.
One by one, the animals came—not because they understood the nest, but because it reminded them of what they’d forgotten: that they belonged to each other.
And together, they began to build—not just a nest, but a sanctuary. A new place, not made by one, but by all. A space where no creature had to prove their worth, where every gift was needed, and every voice heard.
In the center of that space, they placed the old nest—not as a relic of what was lost, but as a reminder of what had been found.
The Message of Easter in the Jungle
This is the spirit of Easter.
Easter is the story of a God who entered the storm of humanity—not to rule, not to judge, but to heal and to hold. It is the story of Jesus, who laid down His life so that no one would be forgotten. It is the story of the cross, where sorrow met sacrifice, and the empty tomb, where death lost its sting.
In the Christian faith, the resurrection of Christ is not simply a miracle to admire—it is a divine declaration: You are loved. You are needed. You are part of something greater than yourself.
Easter tells us what the jungle had to learn: that the strong are not more worthy than the weak, the loud are not more valuable than the quiet, and the ones who carry burdens in silence are no less holy than those who lead with boldness.
The apostle Paul described it like this: “If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be?… But in fact, God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.” (1 Corinthians 12:17–18).
Every part matters. Every role is sacred.
The Nest Within Us
Perhaps the empty nest in the tale is like the empty tomb—at first glance, a sign of loss. But looked at more deeply, it is a beginning. A sacred space where the world is made new—not by power, but by presence. Not by force, but by love.
And just like the animals, we’re invited to bring what we have: our strength, our creativity, our pain, our wisdom, our prayers, our quiet labor. We are called not just to remember the story, but to live it—to be resurrection people in a weary world.
Because Easter isn’t a one-time event. It is a rhythm. A rising. A returning.
A Call to Rise
So, this Easter, the key message is your return to the nest—whatever that means for you.
Return to the place of belonging. Bring your gifts, even the ones you’ve buried. Offer your voice, even if it trembles. And open your heart to the possibility that this season, something new can begin in you.
Let the meaning of Easter echo through the jungle of your life:
You are part of the story. You are not forgotten.
You are needed. You are loved. And yes— you are meant to rise.
Featured photo by Alena Koval: https://www.pexels.com/photo/white-flowers-953075/
