Under his wing
On one of these drives we were completely surrounded by a herd of about 10 elephants. There's something special about being that close to something that wild and that big, but also that peaceful; to be at the mercy of such immense power, but not feeling afraid (sound familiar?). If it sounds spectacular, it really was!
It would almost seem like a bit of a let-down seeing this bird and its young a few minutes later. It is a picture of a Greater Painted Snipe (Goudsnip in Afrikaans) protecting its young from a bunch of people in a big game viewing Land Cruiser. But the more I think about it, the more I am amazed at this incredible expression of love, care, courage and sacrifice. I am reminded of Psalm 91:3-4 (NIVUK):
"Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart."
And also Christ's words in Matthew 23:37 (NIVUK):
"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing."
Two things come to mind. Firstly, I wonder how willing we are to go and hide under God's loving wings.
It was interesting to observe the dynamic between the parent and its young as it tried to protect them from what it must have perceived as a threat. The three youngsters kept on peeking out from behind the wing, as toddlers tend to do. They would walk out from behind the protective shield (not too far...) and look at us with curiosity until the parent stepped back in front of them and lift its wing to cover them again. This went on for a couple of minutes until they all ran into the undergrowth (and safety) nearby.
My question is: Are we willing to go and hide behind the cover of God's love? Are we too curious or proud to heed his call to safety and comfort? Are we guilty of dismissing his invitation to love and care because we're feeling guilty? Christ's words in Matthew is a strong condemnation of the unwillingness to come to him. He wants us to take refuge in his loving presence; to experience the peace, joy and comfort that he (and only he) can offer, because there is nowhere better to receive those things than under his wings. All of this is there for us to accept, but only if we want it.
The second thought that comes to mind is that we may find the warm, welcoming, wonderful space under his wing so comfortable that we are loath to leave it.
My second question is this: Are we willing to step out from the cosiness and safety of his wings? Are we neglecting our growth in faith because we are too scared to trust? Are we more interested in being comfortable than we should be?
I truly believe God wants to comfort us all (as is evident from the passages I quoted above, and the whole Bible...). I also believe that there is a difference between being comforted and being comfortable. Jesus also told his disciples that they (and us) will have trouble in this world (John 16:33). Paul, Peter and James write extensively about suffering for the sake of Christ (Romans 5:3-4, James 1:2-4, 1 Peter 4:12-19). Christ died to comfort us, not to make us comfortable.
There is a lot of life to experience, both good and bad. I would hate for anyone to not experience the comfort we find in Christ because of an unwillingness to accept it. I would also hate for anyone to miss out on the fullness of life in abundance Jesus offers (John 10:10) because of fear or, worse, being too comfortable. May you and I have the humility to come to Christ whenever we need comforting, and the courage to step out again, knowing we have a safe refuge when life becomes overwhelming.
Photo by Nico Marais
Comments
Post a Comment