“That which was from the
beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have
looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of Life” (1
John 1:1)
Last week, in the Caribbean, we were suddenly in the
immediate presence of a creature larger than we were. She was heavier, more
muscular, and when she “smiled,” her many teeth clearly revealed she was better
equipped for battle than we were. We were told by the guide that this dolphin’s
name was “Scarlet,” and she was “pregnant.”
She was also solid and well-muscled, and in a few moments, we would be out in
the water with her.
I remembered a professor in college who told us about
the brains of various species of animals. The theory he taught was that mankind
has dominated the earth because we are more intelligent than other creatures.
And then the question arose in class, “What IS
intelligence?” And “How is it determined?”
We were told that one way is to compare brain size. The larger the brain, the
more intelligent the creature, and that indeed is one way of regarding
intelligence. Another is a comparison of the outer layer of the brain, called
the “cerebral cortex.” The idea is that the more
wrinkled the cortex, the more intelligent you are. A third view is brain weight
to body mass – a large brain produces high intelligence when it is in a
relatively small body. There’s more to it, but that’s the idea.
One of the interesting examples of relative intelligence
used in that class was the dolphin. The professor noted that the dolphin’s brain
is larger than humans, its cerebral cortex is at least as highly developed than
ours, and its ratio of brain size to body weight is suggestive of very high
intelligence. “Scarlet” was probably smarter than
we were, notwithstanding humanity’s feelings about our abilities to create
technology. It occurred to me, while we were out in the water with her, that
dolphins simply don’t NEED the protective technological devices we surround
ourselves with. They are strong enough and smart enough to live quite well
without the devices we consider essential to life.
We were out in the salt water next to the island of
Cozumel, off the coast of Mexico, in the presence of a creature that was larger,
likely very intelligent; definitely faster and stronger, armed with many teeth;
and how did we feel about it all? – We were delighted! We had a wonderful time!
We were taught basic hand signals by the instructor, and then Scarlet swam to us
and we touched her with our hands. We kissed “Scarlet”
and she “kissed” us back. We went out further in
the water and she laid in our arms, as we touched some more. We swam out further
still and each of us, one at a time, stretched out our right arms, while our
left arms were kept close to our chests. I “assumed the position” when it was my
turn, which was the signal for Scarlet to suddenly turn on her back in front of
me and extend her fins into the air. I took hold of them one-at-a-time, as
instructed, and suddenly she and I were belly-to-belly as she began to beat her
mighty tail in the seawater and I was barely able to hang on. White water surged
around us – she was fast! And because of her strength, her speed, for an instant
in time, I was fast, too.
We don’t ordinarily think about it, but all of our lives
we have been surrounded by creatures more intelligent, larger than we are, and
stronger than we have ever thought possible. Though we often don’t recognize it,
true reality contains myriad angels, demons, cherubim, and many more species of
powerful beings, all of whom could squash us like bugs, anytime they want. The
only reason you’re safe at all, is because God loves you and He is keeping you
under His protection right this minute. It was really the trainer, the
instructor who was in control of Scarlet, and it is really God who is watching
out for you.
And by the way, the real reason that mankind has
dominated the earth since the beginning is not because we’re so bright, but
instead, God has made it so. His intention is seen in Genesis 1:28-31 – “God
blessed them, and God said to them (our first ancestors),
‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it;
have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over
every living thing that moves on the earth.'” Mankind was given the
governorship of the earth, under God’s control and for His purposes. We see that
“God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was
very good.” The thousands upon thousands of living creatures upon this
earth were given into our safe-keeping. We continue to misuse the gifts we have
been given, but it does not change God’s intention that ultimate “good” is to
come from all that is on this earth – including your life and mine.
Life for me, in the last few years, has been one
surprise after another. Do you have plans for the future? I had given my plans
up. Ten years ago, I had stopped expecting anything good to come from my life.
Basically, my plan for the future was to grow older and die. And it’s
interesting that the “call” for my life, given by the Lord in an abbreviated
form in 1953, was abandoned, because it seemed no longer possible. I thought I
had “heard” the Lord incorrectly. I thought I was too old. Then everything began
to change. And God has changes in store for you, as well. Some of those changes
will be right here on this earth, and even better, when “the
first things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4), we will be with the
Lord Himself, surrounded by His holy angels, receiving all the good that comes
from God. We’ll be with Him – HE IS our blessed hope.
This past week, we swam with the dolphins. In eternity,
we will walk with the Lord – forever. You may choose to believe that we actually
touched, saw and heard dolphins during our recent trip to the Caribbean, or you
may choose not to. The Apostle John saw, touched and heard the Risen Jesus
Christ, who he called “the Word of life.” As he put
it, “That which was from the beginning, which we have
heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our
hands have handled, concerning the Word of Life” (1 John 1:1). He and the
other apostles and disciples walked with Jesus for three years. They touched
Him, ate with Him, listened to Him, and then told us what they saw and heard.
You can believe his words, or you can choose not to. John also saw, in his later
years, a profound vision of ultimate reality, which he wrote about in what we
call the “Book of Revelation.” He spoke about a
place of peace, beyond time as we know it, where the Lord “shall
wipe away every tear from (our) eyes; and there
shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying,
or pain; the first things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). The
sadness, the loss of this world will be no more. It will be – wonderful! Do you
WANT the Lord? Do you want to be WITH Him? Let’s pray:
Dear Lord, we receive You; we trust in You now. Come
into our hearts and lives. Fill us with Your love. Let us be with You – forever.
Thank You. In Jesus Name. Amen.
