You may have heard on the news, or read in the papers, the sad case of the Regent Honeyeater birds. There are so few left now that the male bird has forgotten its distinctive song and merely imitates the calls of other birds. This arrangement does not please the female bird and so the population of this bird has declined rapidly. To counter this, conservationists have started playing recordings of the proper song to the male bird in the hope that the bird may once again discover its voice.
Well there is much spiritually to draw from this.
First, it is the older male birds who normally teach the young male birds how to sing properly. Thus too many young men, in society and church, are growing up not knowing how to be men as God intended because there is such a dearth of role models. Let us pray for godly male mentors who model how to relate to women; who teach how to grow up strong in the Lord; who are yet vulnerable and humble, revealing the meekness of Christ.
Secondly too many of us as Christians have settled into the world as if this is our permanent home. But “how can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?” (Psalm 137:4) Our distinctive voice has been silenced. We have lost the wonderfully attractive song that Christ wants to sing through us to draw lost folk to himself. We are no different from the world around us in our morals, in our fear, in our pathetic mimicking of siren voices. Lord release our voices!
Thirdly, there is hope. Remember how Paul said “Follow me as I follow Christ”? (1 Corinthians 11:1) Likewise we must pray for those who sing correctly the Lord’s song in this hostile world to be heard clearly that they may be imitated, and that once again Christ’s voice may sound out.
We are all creatures of earth and heaven. We live here, rooted in the ground we walk on. We are of the earth. But we are also born of Heaven and we are called to be beautiful with Christ’s songs dancing in our hearts, and our mouths freely open to express his praise, and to speak his worth.
Lest we die out and become extinct.
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