Doves: A Symbol of our Faith

Doves have always had a spiritual significance and are often mentioned in Scripture. Bonnie Drury shares how this became personal for her family. 

We have a “dove thing” going on at our house. This gentle species has chosen our small yard as their sanctuary, especially during the breeding season in the spring. They remind me of my grandma, Dovie Phillips, who dripped sugar, she was so sweet. I’d like to think that her spirit is visiting me. 

Since doves are notoriously bad nest builders, we agonize over each failed nest, as the gathered twigs fall back to the ground. Eventually, the egg or eggs are laid and the process of producing the hatchlings begins. 

Doves are excellent parents, their flawed nest-building aside. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs and feeding the chicks. Doves are monogamous, loyal and protective of their partners. The birds who visit our yard are also called mourning doves because of their sad and haunting cooing sounds. Most of the cooing comes from the males. The Bible sometimes refers to them as turtledoves. Mary and Joseph offered two turtledoves when the Infant Jesus was presented in the temple. 

Doves in Scripture 

Doves are mentioned in the Bible 74 times, as a symbol of peace, harmony, purity and gentleness. Noah sent out a dove from the ark, and when it returned with an olive branch, he knew that the water was receding. The olive branch is a symbol of peace, love, and new beginnings. According to Matthew's Gospel, a dove appeared at Jesus’ Baptism to signify the beginning of His divine mission:

After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened [for him], and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove [and] coming upon him. (Matthew 3:16)

The dove often represents the Holy Spirit, though on Pentecost Sunday, the Holy Spirit was seen as tongues of fire, showing His gentle, yet powerful presence.  

The dove represents love and devotion in the Psalms and the Song of Solomon. How did such a common bird become such a beautiful symbol? God often uses the least of us (by earthly standards) to show the power of his glory. As Jesus said in the Beatitudes, “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the land” (Matthew 5:5). 

Doves are extraordinary in their own way. They play an important ecological role by dispersing seeds and helping to regenerate forests. They are capable of navigating long distances by using the Earth’s magnetic field and the position of the sun, and can fly up to 55 mph.  

Observing doves 

Back to our sanctuary. Last year, there was a family of four in our crepe myrtle. We observed as the parents taught their chicks to move out of the nest and onto the branch, a little farther each day. Then short flights, that quickly grew longer. We loved talking to them and they listened, cocking their heads one way and then the other, blinking as if they understood. 

The chicks learned to fly, and we were sad, thinking how much we’d miss them. A few days later, our family was sitting on the back patio when suddenly, we heard a flutter of wings and cooing. We looked up and there they were, all four of them, sitting on a wire overhead. It was as if they’d come to say goodbye, and we felt at peace. Grandma Dovie, are you seeing this? 

 A recent dove couple decided they wanted to build on top of our garage door-opener motor. With both male and female sitting inside the garage, my husband tried to explain why this wouldn’t work. They watched from our crepe myrtle while he built the perfect dove apartment under the eaves. They weren’t impressed and left us, breaking my husband’s heart. 

I suggested that maybe the nest he built was too well-hidden, and they needed to be able to fly in and out. He moved it to another place, one we can see by looking out our kitchen window. A week went by, and the custom nest sat empty. Then this morning, a Sunday, I happened to glance out and saw a twig move. I didn’t see any wind, so I kept watching. Mama dove’s head popped up as she arranged the twigs. Then here came Papa with more twigs for her. You can identify the male by the bluish tint to their heads with a pinkish neck or bosom. I ran into the other room to tell my husband, and he was thrilled. Now, we watch and hope it will be a safe, comfortable home for them. 

There is much to learn from doves. As symbols of God’s grace and forgiveness, they remind us why we’re here. We all long for a world without conflict. It takes each one of us to propagate a gentle kindness toward one another. One simple act of mercy can change everything for someone. 

God had a reason for every creature He created, and these sweet doves have a special place in our faith. By understanding and acknowledging their symbolism, we can deepen our own spirituality. We can be inspired to embrace all the virtues they possess.  

For the meek shall inherit the earth … 

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Copyright 2025 Bonnie Drury
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