Classification: Living peaceably amongst insanity
Posted by The Skyliner on February 4th, 2009Matt Huff
Staff Writer
I believe it to be a natural tendency for human beings to classify each other incessantly. Perhaps this part of our nature is a manifestation of our dire search for identity, or maybe it is just a means for us to group similar people together into pocket-like subcultures. For instance, I am sure many of us are familiar with the high-school stereotypes made famous by such shows as Saved by the Bell and Doug – the jock, the nerd, the cheerleader, the shy Romantic, the fashionista, the bad boy, etc. Even in college, we are prone to classify others in terms of their major or extracurricular affiliations. So, if we are a people acutely aware of name and status, spouting off self-attained titles faster than we can brand them on others, how does this translate into the family of God?
Many years ago, a traveling preacher came to my church in Georgia to speak. In his sermon, he made the following metaphor, and I have kept it with me ever since. He drew a correlation between the followers of Christ and the animal kingdom that I had never before considered. In the animal world, a group of vultures is known as a committee; together, they pick apart the remains of the decomposed, constantly feasting on decaying flesh. Due to their somewhat small beaks, they rely on other scavengers to tear the meat apart if the carcass is too large. They always travel in groups, circling the air for their next meal.
Another prominent animal that travels together is the rhinoceros, and the title for his pack is rather fitting. A group of rhinos is known as a crash. Although typically a peaceful creature, the rhinoceros is well known for his ability to utilize his infamous horn if preyed or disturbed. This characteristic entitles him as one of the bold, prestigious warriors of the animal kingdom, lining in rank with the lion and bear.
I think this metaphor wields a large amount of truth concerning the nature of Christians. As we follow Christ and attempt to unravel His mysteries and plans for our lives, we are presented with two basic options. We can choose to be vultures, crowded around the tattered remains of an old life, gnawing at the crumbs. We can circle idly in our committee, waiting for others with larger beaks to prepare our work for us.
Or we can be a rhinoceros, part of the crash. We can live at peace with our neighbor and fight boldly with pride when necessary. We can take up our horn and defend those we love in the name of the One we love. A great example of a rhinoceros-Christian was Peter diving out of the boat to meet the Messiah on water. He simply could not stay behind with the others, idly waiting for the leftovers of Christ’s ministry; he dove completely, and with everything he had, knowing in boldness of faith Whom he was swimming after. He crashed into the waves to meet His Savior.