May 31, 2007
Two Whale Tale
Delta and Dawn, the mother and calf whale who took a wrong turn up the Sacramento River, now appear to be getting their bearings and are headed back towards the ocean. I’ve been interested in the efforts put forth to save them. The whole situation reminds me of Christians trying to save friends and loved ones. We sometimes stand at a distance wringing our hands while we watch those we care about swim in circles. Other times we come along side of them nudging them in the right direction. We aren’t above trying to scare them in to turning around by shooting threats over their heads or banging loudly on our Bible. We can’t save others any more than we can save whales if they insist on going in the wrong direction.
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Gail;
-----As I watched this event unfold, I could not help but wonder what these whales were doing. We were fed the continuous story that they had wandered off course or were lost. But it continues to baffle me that two whales who can find their way easily in a giant ocean could get lost in a river. I am certainly no scientist, but I really do not doubt a whale’s ability to discern fresh water from salt water, which direction that water is flowing, and whether it swam up current or down current to get to where it is. My memory is nowhere near the greatest, but I do think I remember hearing from scientist types that these creatures are not dumb and do have sharp memories (probably sharper than mine.) I don’t know how many whales have swum up rivers and died, and if any have, I don’t know how many may have done it like Old Lodge Skins tried to lay down and die at the end of Little Big Man. I wonder how many of those circles they swam in were from being lost or from the confusing hubbub being raised around them. Maybe these whales knew full well what they were doing. Maybe they were on vacation.
-----What baffles me more is how many times scientists admit to more questions being raised by their research than answers discovered, yet they continually increase claims to encompassing knowledge while denying the possibility that they might also be wading up the wrong river. You would think all the raised questions would be humbling enough to give pause for rehashing the bigger picture: what we don’t know is far greater than what we do know.
-----And although sin expressly defined by the Word as such is very discernable, the circumstances of another person’s life are not. In as much as the surgeon must carefully plan the removal of a tumor in regard to its attachments and blood supplies, the Christian must prayerfully consider the approach to another’s sin with regard to who that person is and where his life is in the Lord. We are each assigned our particular measure of faith by the Lord (Rom 12:3). We are taught by Paul to consider first the possibility that what is sin to me may not be sin to you. Then we are taught to approach all situations with kindness and respect for the interests and understanding of the other. There may be needed nothing more intrusive than to provide some influence and inspiration. Although I understand the loving origin, I find it annoying to be tooted at quietly, then loudly, then crowded, poked at with prods, and finally vaccinated with selected Scriptures just because some brother fears from his estimation that I am up a creek.
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