Summary

The Raven Word on the Week 14th March 2026.
The Raven is our largest breeding songbird, slightly larger than a Buzzard. Unremitting black plumage; the body, legs and bill are black like the lover‘s hair in the Song of Solomon (S of S 5 v 11). In flight, it has long and rather narrow wings, with a distinctive wedge-shaped tail. Soars occasionally and performs aerobatics, especially in pursuit of its prey.
I have seen it plummet downward, scattering a cloud of heron gulls and ceasing with its formidable talons an injured gull. It shredded the poor bird without mercy and made off with a large portion of it for its chick’s next meal.
This ferocious part of their nature has earned them a place in Coats of Arms. The sinister all black appearance coupled with sharp talons and a formidable beak have seen their adoption by British heraldic going back to the Norman conquest. A raven is present on the crest of the coat of arms of the Washington family.
The Raven has an important niche in Scripture. We first come across it in the Ark. It was the first bird Noah released when he wanted to check on the state of the flood waters (Genesis 8 verse 7). Since it is not a swimmer we are told it kept flying till the waters dried up. No mean feat of strength.
The Raven is listed as an inedible bird. In fact, it was used by God to feed the prophet Elijah during the famine. They delivered bread and meat morning and evening to him and he drank water from the brook (1 Kings 17 verses 4 to 6). Clearly a reliable bird for a hard task.
Perhaps it was that quality in the Raven that made Jesus use it in his parable on anxiety. He asked us not to worry about what we eat or about what we wear – the very things that fills social media and magazines in bookshops today – but to think about the Ravens (Luke 12 verses 22 to 26).
We are to consider the Ravens. They don’t plant or gather crops. They don’t have any barns at all. In fact, they dwell on cliffs and nest in barren crags but God feeds them (Psalm 149 verse 9).
Have faith in God – Mark 11 verse 22.