I’ve seen it dozens of times and it always perplexes me. A murder of crows is often seen mobbing a hawk in the sky. Like raucous bullies harassing a dignified and composed gentleman, the noisy crows screech and divebomb the hawk, yet I have never seen the hawk attempt to strike back. Just the other day I was watching three crows badgering a hawk, perplexed by the apparent lack of retaliation on the part of the hawk. Hawks are more predatorial than crows (who are scavengers, not predators) and have a sharper beak and sharp talons, so I have always assumed that it wouldn’t even be a fair fight. To me, it looked like the hawk was exercising lots of self-control in sparing his attackers the pain he could inflict if he wanted to. To the casual observer, it looks like the picture of strength under control. 

This kind of strength under control—often called meekness—is a Christian virtue. Meekness is not the absence of strength (that is, it is not simply weakness); rather it is the possession of strength that is restrained by wisdom and used in the right ways at the right times. Meekness does not imply inability but it requires great self-restraint. A person who is meek does not use his strength for selfish gain or retaliation but only uses his strength for righteous purposes and goals. Meekness could look like refusing to use your platform to lash out at a personal rival. It could also look like refraining from publicly humiliating a co-worker for her mistake, even when you really want to “get even” with her for something she did to you. As I watched the hawk, I thought that he was showing meekness by not using his power to lash out at the crows.

But it turns out, there is a little more going on with the hawk and the crows. Hawks do have a superior beak and talons, but crows often have better maneuverability, making it tiring for the hawk to attack the crows. Plus, crows always attack in a group, outnumbering the hawk and deterring attacks in return. Apparently, hawks just don’t think it’s worth it to try to fight back. It’s easier just to move on and leave the crows to themselves. So, hawks may not be a good example of meekness after all, but there is Someone who is the perfect example of true meekness. He has all power and authority (Matt. 11:27), yet he is meek (also commonly translated gentle) and lowly in heart (Matt. 11:29). He proved this when he allowed himself to be arrested by the hands of sinful men, rushed through a mockery of a trial, and nailed to a wooden cross on a hill outside Jerusalem. He could have called ten thousand angels (Matt. 26:53) to rescue him and wipe every sinner off the face of the planet, but he died on that cross for you and me. That is strength under control.