Monday, April 29, 2019

RABBITS, HAWKS, AND SQUIRRELS


A few years ago we had lots of rabbits hopping around our yard. They built nests in the grass and we had to avoid them when mowing until the bunnies were big enough to escape the whirling blade. Every morning they were munching on the vegetation.

And then the hawks came. Obviously attracted by a tasty meal, they swooped down on the earth-bound hares which were defenseless against the winged predators. Soon the hawk population grew and the number of rabbits decreased drastically.

So the hawks went after the squirrels, but alas, squirrels can climb trees and hide in the foliage. It was not so easy for the big birds to grab a meal at the fly-through. They got discouraged and hungry, so they’ve moved on to greener, or should I say whiter, pastures, so to speak. And the rabbits are coming back.

Now there is an overabundance of squirrels in our neighborhood. They run around and chase each other, scurrying up trees and poles, having more fun than one can imagine. And the most interesting thing to me is that we see black squirrels, and gray, and brown all romping together. Are they color blind, or do they realize instinctively that the color of their fur has no bearing on their “squirreliness”?

I’ve never eaten squirrel [that I’m aware of] but I’m guessing the flavor is about the same regardless of the tint of their covering. And I doubt that anyone call tell the fur difference between two skinned squirrels’ carcasses. A squirrel is a squirrel – regardless of the color of its skin – I mean fur.

I believe there’s an analogy here for humans as well. A human is a human regardless of the color of their fur – I mean skin. After all, the Bible says we are all “One Blood” – referring to men and women everywhere for all time. And genetics verifies this – we are all human beings, created in God’s image.

COPYRIGHT 2019 BY CARL E GUSTAFSON

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