A LESSON FROM AN
OSTRICH
As part of my spiritual
Developmental program, I select a book of the Bible for intensive study –
utilizing available commentaries and other reference materials resulting in a
notebook(s) of information gleaned from the study. Perhaps one of the more difficult books that
I have encountered is Job. Although most
believers know of his travails, I would suspect that other portions of this
book are
Less familiar.
Perhaps one of the more unusual and yet
interesting portions in the book of Job is chapter 39, in which God asks Job
several questions about the animal kingdom in order to demonstrate how limited
Job’s knowledge really was. God was not
seeking answers from Job. Instead, He
was trying to get Job to recognize how limited his knowledge was and to submit
to God’s power and strength. Only then
could he hear and understand what God was really saying to him.
As
part of my biblical study, I attempt to project myself as a character in the
text and try
to imagine participating in the
dialogue and/or try to discern what and how I would respond in the
situation. The section in chapter 39
really struck a responsive chord with me.
What did I really know about ostriches?
Of course, everyone knows
that at the first sign of danger, the ostrich buries his head in the sand!
However, research reveals that this is false! Although from a distance, when ostriches’
feed, they appear to be burying their heads in the sand but actually a more
mundane process is occurring. The reason
they poke their heads into the sand is that they need to swallow sand and
pebbles to assist them in the grinding up of their food as ostriches like
chickens have no teeth!
Another strange fact
cited about them is that they lay their eggs in a depression in the
ground. But this seemingly reckless
behavior is prompted by the simple fact that they are unable to fly and
further, even if they could, there are few trees in the desert! Also these “nests” on the ground help
preserve their potential offspring from predators.
When they detect an enemy, they lay their head and
neck on the ground making themselves appear as a mound
of earth and thereby protecting their eggs.
Reflecting
on the ostriches and how we often misunderstand or misinterpret their
behaviors, led me to ask myself: “Do I do that with people too?” Do I tend to rely on first impressions and
fail to see or understand their possibly wonderful and unique qualities? I confess that I have a hard time “warming
up” to a person who is grossly obese, or one who lacks basic hygiene, or
individuals upon first acquaintance who violate my personal space.
As I
learned a bit about the ostriches and came to better understand their behaviors
to a degree, I came to appreciate them.
It dawned on me that perhaps the same is true of people I meet! I need to strive to learn about them in order
to understand and value their strong qualities and not rely on preexisting
stereotypes. When I make an effort to do
this, I will no
doubt see each person more fairly and come to at least partially understand
him/her, as I did with the ostrich. Amen!