That Special Something
The wolf will live with the lamb…The infant will play near the cobra’s den. Isaiah 11:6.8 (NIV)
Discovering unlikely animal friends is something I enjoy. There are books written about how a duck and dog become besties, and a tortoise and rhino baby do life together etc. When I read and look at the pictures, it truly warms my heart. But Lori Hatcher (All God’s Creatures) was blessed to witness something special between a child and gorilla.
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When was the last time you witnessed that special something that passes between humans and animals? Small children and puppies, riders and horses, and the disabled with their service animals often feel a deep sense of connection.
I witnessed a magical exchange like this at our local zoo in Columbia, South Carolina. Only glass separates visitors from the family of gorillas who call Riverbanks home. Often we have to squint to see them foraging in the hilly terrain above the viewing area, but not that day.
Close enough to touch if it weren’t for the glass, a female, two youngsters, and an imposing silverback lounged nearby. They watched children giggle from the other side of the glass as the young gorillas rolled and tumbled with each other in play that looked a lot like the young visitors’ own playground tussles.
The silverback, however, sat, dignified and aloof, with his back to the viewing area. When Sammy, a curly haired boy of about four, approached the glass, he turned.
Sammy drew closer until he and the gorilla stood face to face, studying each other. Sammy raised his hand, pressed his palm against the glass and grinned. The giant gorilla did the same, placing his palm on the other side of the glass to match Sammy’s. He didn’t grin, but I swear I saw a twinkle in his wise old eyes.
DNA, habitats, and mental ability separate humans from animals, but sometimes, like that day in the zoo, the threads of our common Creator link our hearts. It makes me long for the day when the wolf will live with the lamb, a child can play near a cobra’s dan without fear, and a boy can high-five a gorilla with no glass between them.
WALK OF FAITH: What aspect of Isaiah’s prophecy about humanity’s interaction with animals do you look forward to most? Ponder it today and be on the lookout for moments when animals and humans demonstrate their close connection here on earth.
Heavenly Father, thank You for all of creation; for life, nature, and beauty. Please teach us to love others as You do and to see something special every day. AMEN.