About two weeks ago, I went to the store with my daughters and
bought six baby chicks. When we got home, five of them seemed to be doing just fine,
but one of them looked as though she was struggling. The other five would
trample on her and she seemed like she just didn’t care. When I told my
oldest that she might not make it, she started crying. You see? She had already
named her “Cotton ball”.
You may have heard many times that in nature, only the fittest
survive. You might have also heard that only the strongest make it and those
who are weak will end up perishing. Some even say that the weak deserve to die.
Is that really the case? I mean, by observation it seems like within the animal
kingdom the weakest animals end up dying in their primal stage. Often humanity
lives in the same manner, thinking that life belongs to the strongest and those
who can take the things they want should go ahead and do so and crush the weak. I
have always had an issue with the “survival of the fittest”. Well, within the animal
world it might make sense, but we are not animals. Despite science’s elaborate
efforts in making us think that we are animals that have evolved through the
years, I believe that we are God’s unique creation. We are humans, created in
God’s own image. Not a work of chance thorough years of evolution, rather hand
crafted to perfection by the creator. As it comes to survival, I also believe that
even the weakest can make it if they are shown tender love and are cared for.
I did not want the baby chick to die, I also did not want my
daughter to be upset. So, I cared for the chick. I gave her water. At first she
had no idea where the water was. I forced her to drink by dipping her beak into
the water. I did the same with food. I placed her in places where she would not
get stepped on. Soon, she started going back and forth to the water. Then she
started eating. Within three to four days, she was following the rest of the
chicks. All this to say that this morning, I was trying to take a picture of
her, and I couldn’t even catch her. With some care and love even the weak can
find strength. What the world may see as worthless and deserving of death, may
indeed live and make this world a better place.
To compare my story of the chick (Cotton Ball) with humanity, the
example that Christ set for us is not on the basis of the fittest. Rather,
Jesus encouraged His followers to tend to the needs of the poor and needy. He
calls us to help those who cannot make it on their own and stand by them. It is
through this kind of behavior that we can achieve wonders. Needless to say,
that Christ came to bring significance to those whom the world sees as worthless.
Matthew 25:31-40
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
