As I was helping take care of the animals while Pastor Erick was in Africa, I learned a lot about them and how they so much reveal human nature. Take the pigs. I am amazed by their selfishness. They see me coming from a good distance and start grunting in the most demanding fashion. It's not with excited anticipation but as if to say: "It's about time! I'm starving! Where've you been all day! Hurry it up!" Yes...they do always talk in angry exclamations. :) They pre-emptively start fighting amongst themselves as if in preparation for the way they will butt and kick each other out of the way when the food comes. The momma has no qualms about stepping on, throwing, biting or otherwise abusing her nursling piglets to keep them from nursing or eating her food during feeding time. She is vicious and mean when it comes to getting her way, and the older pigs are evidence of these early lessons in self-preservation and gratification as they kick and prod, grunt and bite for the best position.
Is it any wonder that in the parable of the prodigal son, Jesus had the prodigal feeding pigs. To me it's no wonder that the prodigal "came to his senses" as he was daily confronted with the ugliness of abject selfishness - the pigs not caring who was hurt or had to be removed to get what they wanted now! Surely this became a lesson well-learned as he began to see his own behavior in light of those pigs.
The chickens seem fairly mindless to me. No thought for the filth they live in. Eager for their next meal as grain fills their container but not over-eager like the pigs. They offer a good service through their eggs and occasionally their lives but are unmindful of their service. They're rather shy and in awe of those who care for them.
The ducks...they just don't know what's good for them. They seem oblivious to their feeding time - even though the goats are well aware from a great distance and seek to take advantage of the situation. As I chase the goats away from the ducks' food, their "body guards" the cows start charging down the hill. In almost motherly fashion, these two young cows lower their heads as if to say "You want to pick a fight with the goats? You'll have to go through us first!" ( I don't really know why animals talk in exclamations so much. Perhaps to get their point across) One good stare down puts the cows in their place, however. To get the ducks to eat, one has to practically scare them to their food, shimmying this way and that to keep them going in the right direction. They arrive at their enclosure where the food is as if they have just escaped great danger, not knowing that it was in my benevolence that I was chasing them. How often are we like that? Being pursued or pushed in a certain direction by God's benevolence yet shiftless and scared, fluttering this way and that - all worked up- only to find that He was leading us to a place of blessing and provision. But we were too worked up to see it - to see His loving pursuit.
The goats just care about food and are happy to receive it in any fashion or steal it - not grateful, just happy. The dogs are happy for their provision but seem to prefer relationship and attention/affection. Isn't this how God wants us to be? Grateful for His provisions and His good gifts but much more interested in relationship with Him, in giving and receiving love.
So, there you have it. No wonder we are so often admonished to go to the animals to learn lessons. Our behaviors are mirrored there if we have eyes to see it.
