I never saw a wild thing
sorry for itself.
A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough
without ever having felt sorry for itself.
D.H. Lawrence
Wild things
The above poem from D.H. Lawrence is titled "Self Pity." It was highlighted in a movie that I watched for the 3rd time just the other day–G.I. Jane. You can see the clip here
It's kinda true. At least from what I can tell, wild things, do not feel sorry for themselves. I don't know if a wild thing can really "feel" anything like humans do–but it doesn't feel sorry for itself. Hungry yes. Threatened yes. Loyal some animals yes. Happy probably. Sorry for itself–as in self pity...no. What do wild things have to do with the Jesus' Kingdom? Well more than we might think without looking further into it. God likes the creation. All of it. Not just humans. God likes all of the creation. He knew what He was doing when he made it. God's Word–the Bible, talks about the creation A LOT. Like a lot, a lot. Jesus talked about the creation too. He talked about wild things. Mr. D.H. Lawrence is not the only one who talked about the nature of small birds, and what they can teach us humans.
It's kinda true. At least from what I can tell, wild things, do not feel sorry for themselves. I don't know if a wild thing can really "feel" anything like humans do–but it doesn't feel sorry for itself. Hungry yes. Threatened yes. Loyal some animals yes. Happy probably. Sorry for itself–as in self pity...no. What do wild things have to do with the Jesus' Kingdom? Well more than we might think without looking further into it. God likes the creation. All of it. Not just humans. God likes all of the creation. He knew what He was doing when he made it. God's Word–the Bible, talks about the creation A LOT. Like a lot, a lot. Jesus talked about the creation too. He talked about wild things. Mr. D.H. Lawrence is not the only one who talked about the nature of small birds, and what they can teach us humans.
"Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them..."
–Jesus (Matt. 6:26)
Jesus was in full-out teacher mode that day on the mount, when he spoke those words. Jesus was a good teacher. He was a good speaker. Jesus was masterful at the use of rhetoric. He use to do this thing–let's just call it lesser to greater. Jesus wanted to make an important point, and so he would bring the hearer carefully to the understanding of a simple point–something like "Hey look at those birds living their little bird lives. They don't seem very stressed out over where their next meal is coming from." The simple point would be that the Heavenly Father feeds His creation. Because He likes His creation. Because He cares for His creation. After the simple lesser point was made, Jesus would drive home the thesis, greater point of His teaching. He continues in the same verse
"...Are you not of more value than they? [the birds]–Jesus (Matt. 6:26)
Jesus likes the birds. But Jesus was not interested in talking about birds that day. Not really. He wanted to talk about other created things–you and me. And so in true Jesus fashion, He didn't encourage us to the party of one, navel-gazing that usually fits so comfortably on us. Jesus points us outwards to wild things.
Woe man
Woe is me! It's a favorite song of ours. A seductive picture. An alluring addiction. We like self pity. Even if you aren't the quintessential pity party of one, you like self pity. I know you do. Because, I do. We all do. It's the reason that our heart beats a little faster when the people that sat down after us at the restaurant get their food first. It's the reason we are stabbed in the heart a little bit when we find out we weren't invited to that one get-together. It's the reason that we sometimes go to bed collecting all of the terrible, sad, unfortunate moments of the day, and hit the repeat button in our mind. We are quick to pity ourselves. We kinda adore it. Deep down we do. And I think it's because it's the easiest way to deal with pain of this world. The sin of this world. Pity is the easiest form of pain to feel. Because it's out of our hands. It's what's being heaped upon us. And so we translate a lot of the hurt of this world into self pity. Pity is the tasty poison.
Teachers in our midst
And so why are Jesus and Mr. D.H. Lawrence interested in us looking to the birds? Assuredly, these two men are on slightly different trajectories. But there is commonality that remains between them, and that is fantastic enough to highlight. Wild things are teachers in our midst. And the lesson? Being a creation. Wild things know that they are a creation. They, and we, were created to worship God. Whereas, we make the SELF, the infinitely small part of who we are in our self-to our self, the universe-shaking Governor of our lives–wild things don't. Wild things worship at the thrown of God when they are fed by what the Lord provides. Wild things worship when they expect the rain–the good rain, and the bad rain. Wild things worship then they receive from God both good and bad, abundance and famine, favorable and unfavorable, and without any pity or confusion at all, live as what they were created to be–His creatures. Are you a creature? Yes–thank God, yes! You were created. That makes you a creature. In fact you are the best created, creature. You are the pinnacle of His creation. You turned the Creators "good" work, into "very good" (Gen. 1:31).
Free lunch
The good, the bad, and yes, the ugly will continue to come our way. We will pout. We will drink in pity. But every once and a while...stop...find a bird to look at (seriously they are everywhere, you won't have a hard time finding one). These, and other wild things remind us that good and bag things come to everyone, everything, everywhere. And yet one goliath truth remains–God has not forgotten a single one of His creation...not now, not ever.
Need a reminder? Look to the wild things.
I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself...
Teachers in our midst
And so why are Jesus and Mr. D.H. Lawrence interested in us looking to the birds? Assuredly, these two men are on slightly different trajectories. But there is commonality that remains between them, and that is fantastic enough to highlight. Wild things are teachers in our midst. And the lesson? Being a creation. Wild things know that they are a creation. They, and we, were created to worship God. Whereas, we make the SELF, the infinitely small part of who we are in our self-to our self, the universe-shaking Governor of our lives–wild things don't. Wild things worship at the thrown of God when they are fed by what the Lord provides. Wild things worship when they expect the rain–the good rain, and the bad rain. Wild things worship then they receive from God both good and bad, abundance and famine, favorable and unfavorable, and without any pity or confusion at all, live as what they were created to be–His creatures. Are you a creature? Yes–thank God, yes! You were created. That makes you a creature. In fact you are the best created, creature. You are the pinnacle of His creation. You turned the Creators "good" work, into "very good" (Gen. 1:31).
"...Are you not of more value than they?
Free lunch
The good, the bad, and yes, the ugly will continue to come our way. We will pout. We will drink in pity. But every once and a while...stop...find a bird to look at (seriously they are everywhere, you won't have a hard time finding one). These, and other wild things remind us that good and bag things come to everyone, everything, everywhere. And yet one goliath truth remains–God has not forgotten a single one of His creation...not now, not ever.
"and yet your heavenly Father feeds them..."And yet...yet...your Father feeds them. "Yet" is a beautiful word. It's a Gospel word. It's a Kingdom of God word. "Yet" is our word. Pity is on repeat, yet that song is almost played out. The world is broken, yet Jesus' Kingdom is coming.
Need a reminder? Look to the wild things.
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