Even Chickens Praise Our Lord
If you've been a Christian Agrarian for very long, you know that much of what you say about "any old thing" tends to earn you puzzled looks from other folks. American Christians ain't much for rocking the boat. Many people would be fine letting us live like "darn fools" and leave us alone, if it wasn't for the fact that we believe our position on how to live is more biblical than theirs. I often get the 5th degree on sustainable vs industrial agriculture from fellow Christians. You really think its more biblical to let chickens scratch the dirt and see the sunlight? What's wrong with "taking dominion over hogs" by locking them in little crates and keeping them on concrete? Those are good questions! I think the answer depends on how you view the relationship between God and His creation. In the bible we are told that after creating all things God declared them good. God made no mistakes when He made.... the chicken for example. God made chickens to live outdoors and eat bugs and grass. He made them so the would follow herbivores and scratch out the fly larva, thus improving the life of the herbivore. God made hogs to dig and root. The scriptures tell us that He made grass for the cattle to graze. It is important to remember that God created all things for his Gory. That's right, a scratching chicken Glorifies the Lord. In the Psalms we read(and sing...hint hint) that creation itself praises the Lord. Rocks, mountains, birds, rivers and more all praise and glorify God by their very existence. Most people enjoy watching a scratching hen more than they do watching one in a wire cage. We were created in the image of God, which I believe explains why. Call me a nut case, but when I see a group of cows grazing or a momma hen and her brood scratching in the sun, I can't help but think of how these animals and all their wonderful habits praise our Mighty King Jesus. If we spent as much time learning ways to let the habits and gifts of our animals help us than we do fighting against the God given traits of our little servants, life in the countryside wouldn't be half as stressful.
posted by Scott M Terry @ 10:18 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
You always bless me with your posts.
Amen, and amen, Scott.
In the Psalms we read(and sing...hint hint)
And AMEN!
Second thought ...
Most Christians today would be more comfortable as gnostics (and would prefer the "Gospel according to Judas") because they reject the natural physical world as God made it -- as good.
But God made it, and called it "good." Not an evil to be endured.
Amen and amen!! Yesterday, a family from our church and myself witnessed a public exposition of draft horse teams plowing an open field, which was put on by a local draft horse and mule club. These animals are incredibly beautiful, not only in their physical beauty but in their created purposes as a living technology to be righteously stewarded by man. In commenting on the beauty and function of such marvelous creatures, the father of this family stated that all the scientists in the world working together could not even create one living cell, let alone a blade of grass, yet they look down their noses at the primitive technologies that God created man to use. Most Americans consider draft animal farming as antiquated pastime and hobby at best. Better to leave farming to those who know best . . . the agribusiness giants of corporate America.
God has gifted mankind with the horse, cow, pig, and the chicken to name a few, yet we arrogantly presuppose to know better than Him what is best for man and the creation, even so many of man’s technologies destroy the earth in a frenzied pitch of “progress.” Indeed, to behold the creation as good is to declare God true and just. It is a profession of genuine faith, but watch out . . . you might get accused of being a Luddite and get executed or deported to a penal colony for it as the British did in the early 1800’s when the industrial revolution took off!!
Amen! Great post!
Now if only my hens would start laying.....
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