Thoughts

On a recent visit to Melbourne Zoo, I was reminded of the miracle of creation.

I was there on official business, in charge of 7 over-excited 5 – 7 year old boys. Having lived on this earth for in excess of 30 years, I have grown to view animals with some amount of apathy, but the expression of wonder on a child’s face as they view their first real-life lemur is, well, a wondrous thing!

And while the miracle of creation was the first thing that came to mind when thinking back on this trip, I realised that the children I visited the zoo with actually had more to teach me than any of the animals.

Please note: names have been changed to protect the children’s privacy.

Now, while I say I was ‘in charge’ of these boys, I guess ‘I was dragged around by’ may be a more apt description! First stop after the education centre was the reptile house. Boy number one, like most 7 year olds, was fascinated by ‘dangerous’ creatures. ‘Look at the teeth on that crocodile!’ and ‘this frog has enough poison to kill an adult male!’ were the catch cries of our visit there.

Later on, we visited the lemurs, boy number 2 ran straight through the enclosure without even seeing one lemur. It was not until the rest of our group caught up with him at the exit and politely suggested that he have another walk through that he saw these strange and charming creatures which he later declared were his favourite animals of the visit.

The pygmy hippopotamus and mandrils were the standout for boys 3 and 4 (and boy number 1, when he found out how dangerous they could be).

Everyone in the group was relieved when we reached the butterfly house. Not because we all loved butterflies, but because boy number 5 did love butterflies and asked every five minutes when we would get to see them. He was sufficiently impressed by their beauty but was so excited by them that he would not stand stand still long enough for one to land on him (Which the rest of the group had to hear about for the remainder of the day).

Boy number 6 almost had us evicted from the zoo because he seemed to incite rage amongst the baboons – never before have I seen animals bang on the glass at the humans on the other side.

Boy number 7 is business-savvy; he still thinks the zoo is missing a fantastic marketing opportunity by not offering elephant rides but does concede that it is probably better to care for this endangered creature rather than profit from it.

As I mentioned at the outset, these boys had some lessons for me.

Boys number 1, 3 and 4 reminded me that everything in this world is God’s and should therefore be feared and respected (Psalms 89:11).

Boys number 2 and 5 reminded me that sometimes we need to slow down and be still to enjoy His creation (1 Kings 19:11-12).

Boy number 7 reminded me of our responsibility for God’s creatures (Genesis 1:26).

And what did boy number 6 teach me? Unless you’re King Solomon, keep your distance from baboons (2 Chronicles 9:21).

“Life is more than food…” Jesus Christ (Luke 12:23)

However, living in the food capital of Australia – Melbourne – life seems to be all about the food. The variety of restaurants, cafes and grocers is both exciting and dizzying.

Both in Melbourne and beyond, you’ve probably noticed that cafes and restaurants are catering to specific dietary requests. It’s not uncommon to see menu items tagged as Paleo, gluten free, vegan, free trade, raw, certified organic, local only, free range, etc.

We’ve moved away from simple calorie restriction to ‘lifestyle’ diets. You’ve probably heard of someone trying the Paleo, Raw, or Vegan ‘lifestyle’.

There are thousands of diet books available to fuel these lifestyles. Each book has their unique underlying philosophy and rules to take you from where you are to where you should be. It is no longer just about weight loss – diets are about ethics, detoxification, animal rights, ancestry, spirituality, power, intelligence, sexuality, individualization and identity.

Truly the diet industry has grown into something else. These diets are offering us something more than a healthy food plan (or not so healthy food plan – Butter and Bacon Diet!?). They are attempting to offer us something that they do not possess and we desperately want – a better life.

New York writer and journalist, Oliver Burkeman wrote that what we truly seek from diets is transcendence.

He writes:

“No wonder the more extreme varieties of diet begin to resemble the ascetic practices of ancient mystics, intent of achieving spiritual enlightenment through denial of the physical body. We may talk about merely getting ready for beach season, but we too are seeking transcendence.”  – New Philosopher 16^th Edition – Food “Not Eating Things” page 21- 22, 2017.

Yet, can food alone be a path to transcendence?

Jesus said, “Life is more than food…” (Luke 12:23)

He also speaks of a secret food: one that you won’t find in any grocery store or hipster café.

Jesus’ rebuke to Satan when hungry from wandering in the wilderness for 40 days is telling. Jesus quotes a profound truth found in the book of Deuteronomy, “Man shall not live by bread alone but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”  (Matthew 4:4)

Despite the clear abundance in modern societies, we are still starving for life. How can we be so good at feeding our physical bodies but utterly starved for spirit? Food does not sustain us alone. We are sustained by His words. If you want more life then seek His words and the truths they contain. Ingest them because they will revitalize your soul. This is the diet you seek and this one won’t leave you hungry, disappointed, weak, or broke.

God created and sustains all mankind. So instead of using a diet as a means to a better life, let’s seek the Bread of Life.

“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ … But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  (Matthew 6:31,33)

Our church library has lots of books – and Mere Christianity would have to be one of my favourites, and one that I would recommend to absolutely anyone.

It’s the kind of book that you can read many times, and find something new each time – and it’s enduring success is evidenced by the fact that it is still in publication today, and remains one of the most popular books on Christianity.

A lot of people may be familiar with C S Lewis from his children’s series – The Chronicles of Narnia – the most well-known of which, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, many of us would have grown up reading.

Mere Christianity is adapted from a series of radio talks that C S Lewis gave in Britain during WW2 – to a nation looking for meaning and somewhere to put their faith in the midst of so much darkness and uncertainty in the world.

That message – of faith and belief – is just as relevant today.

It explores Christianity at its most simple – and profound – tackling deep concepts using straight-forward and beautiful examples that stay with you long after you finish reading.

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of – throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”

~Mere Christianity – C.S. Lewis

What a beautiful image that is!

Psalm 51: 10-12

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”