The Winged Man
Hide me under the shadow of thy wings, from the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.
—Psalm 17:8–9
There are many examples in the Scriptures where God is described as having wings. In the Song of Moses we read that “hovering over them he spread his wings” (Deut. 32:11). When fleeing from Saul, David wrote: “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in thee my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of thy wings I will take refuge till the storms of destruction pass by” (Ps. 57:1). Even our Lord said of Jerusalem: “How often would I have gathered your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings” (Matt. 23:37).
Gregory of Nyssa considered such verses to be a demonstration that there is something about the divine nature that has wings. And, since we are made in the image and likeness of God, we should have wings.
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Thomas S. Buchanan is the George W. Laird Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Delaware. He has studied at UCSD, Northwestern University, and MIT, and has held visiting professorships at the University of Western Australia and the University of Aix-Marseille. He has served as department chairman, deputy dean, and institute director, president of the American Society of Biomechanics, and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Applied Biomechanics. He is on the Board of Trustees of Saint Katherine College, the editorial board of Touchstone, and the board of The Fellowship of St. James.
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