Wednesday, January 11, 2023

“People curse those who hoard their grain, but they bless the one who sells in time of need.” (Proverbs 11:26, New Living Translation)

                "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender….”

                With apologies to Winston Churchill, I am applying his epic words to my ongoing battle with the squirrels at my bird feeder. They are relentless adversaries. Wily, inventive, acrobatic little rats with fluffy tails! They belong to the Ecclesiastes school of life: “to eat and drink well and have a good time—compensation for the struggle for survival these few years God gives us on earth.” (Ecclesiastes 8: 15, The Message Bible)

                Recently, I read a story of a man in Minnesota who is my age and was charged for shooting his gun at the squirrels at his bird feeder. Justifiable squirrel-cide, if you ask me.

                I know what you are thinking, that they are God’s creatures, great and small and deserve a square meal like any other. Fair enough. So, I offered a pact with them that if I fed them peanuts in the shell they would leave my bird feeder alone. What do they do? They eat and hoard the peanuts in a few minutes and then come back and still raid the birdfeeder. Even worse; I think they have been inviting friends and family over to indulge in the free meals.

                This was going to be a rant against greed, hoarding and selfish behaviour., pointing fingers at the  squirrels.  But on sober second thought, I realize that I must also come to terms with my own definitions of sharing, generosity, caring and giving. As the squirrels might say – oh, nuts!

                The squirrels are only doing what comes naturally.  And perhaps it can be said that when we humans act in the same way, we are only being naturally human. Remember during the worst of the pandemic and how people hoarded many household goods.  Or now, when people are hoarding over-the-counter medicines. Our human nature tends to look out first for ourselves and our immediate loved ones. We do what comes naturally for safety, survival, food and shelter.

                But there are exceptions. I heard a story of a man in one of the humongous snowstorms in Buffalo before Christmas who was stranded in his car. He went to over a dozen homes to seek shelter and no one would take him in. He went back to his car to wait out the storm.  Someone knocked on his window and asked if he could get into his car as he was also stranded. The man immediately agreed. They helped each other get through the storm. The first man ended up helping others the next day. In fact, the man said that perhaps it was meant that he was refused shelter, so that he was available to help those who wouldn’t have otherwise found help.

                “If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.” (Matthew 5: 40 -42, The Message)

                Live generously.

                There is a challenge in that. How do we live generously? Like the priest and the Levi in the parable of the Good Samaritan, we would prefer to cross the street and ignore the needy person. But if we are following Jesus, we should know that we can do better. If I am blessed and fortunate to be able to afford both “peanuts and bird seed” (metaphorically speaking) then why should I really care who gets what? There is enough for all of God’s creatures, both great and small.

                “To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.” (Matthew 25:29, New Living Translation)

                Oh, nuts!

Dale