| Buzzard, Bat, & Bee |
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Buzzard, Bat, & Bee
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If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.
The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkably nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then at once, it takes off like a flash. A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself. In many ways, there are lots of people like the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee. They are struggling about with all their problems and frustrations, not ever realizing that they merely have to look up. As Christians, our escape route is always upward toward the Lord, never downward into sin or self-pity. Psalm 5:3 "My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer to thee, and will look up." Psalm 18: 33 "He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places." On the blog of the very liberal website, snopes, one person commented: "Very flawed analogy, since the buzzard and the bat are physically incapable of using the escape route." Another said, "Not to mention that as a kid, I have caught bumble bees and put them in jars. They never had a problem (that I could see) flying out the top when opened," with yet another saying, "Right. They just crawl to the top and take flight." Then, one of them summed it up, "Not to mention the message seems to be "God will solve your problems, don't bother thinking for yourself". Makes free will a bit pointless really..." Another brought up an imaginary Bible verse as follows: "Doesn't the Bible actually warn against this kind of thinking (that God will solve your problems, so don't try)?" I would suppose that he couldn't remember the imaginary quote that he heard in a bar somewhere, "God helps those who help themselves." When the avatar names chosen by these commenters imply such things as demons, predators, superiority, and occ What is an Analogy:The people who commented on this article all seemed to be looking for some way to poke a hole in the analogy and to show that it has no merit. Analogies always have limits, of course, and analogies are never exactly like reality. They are devices to allow someone to understand what is unfamiliar to them by comparing it to something that is familiar. What is the Point of this Analogy:The point is the fact that human beings were created to be joined to the God, Who is Love and Who created them. Why does Liberalism oppose this Point:Liberalism is built on independence from God and supposed human goodness. What is the Truth:People can ignore Jesus Christ, their Creator God, but they will never be fulfilled. Hebrews 12:2 Looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Faith begins and ends with Jesus. Jesus is everything in between. When we try to add something of our own to the faith of God, we come up with something that is powerless. We frustrate the faith that comes by hearing, that is by hearing the utterance of God. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" John 14:6a. John 10:24-27 Then came the Jews round about him, and said to him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: If you belong to Jesus, you hear His voice and follow Him. If you are not one of His own, then you don't hear His voice and you don't follow Him. You do your own thing or follow something else. Jesus has no independent sheep. Those who love Him hear His voice and obey His voice. This is not figurative. This is real.
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