Eastern Towhee

 A pleasant afternoon walk in the deep woods along a creek on a sunny, cloudless day was just what I needed to clear my mind. God has taught me quite a bit as of late about busyness and the constant noise of modern technology that my mind has grown accustomed to and dependent upon. God has been only a part of the noise, and His jealousy and my compartmentalizing Him drew me to the woods. Along the walk, I heard a a distinctive song coming from the trees. Tchew-heee! The winter barren tree branches just starting to bud were still clear enough to see the Eastern Towhee. I continued walking, and he continued to fly from tree to tree as if to follow. He puffed up to show off his colors, then continued in song.

Evolutionary scientists tell us that the birds' songs and color are purely for function; to attract mates, to warn off predators, and to communicate during lookout. I have curiosity to such a blanket assumption. When I took these shots, my mind filled with wander to cry "who gave your song, and who painted your feathers?" When we hear a beautiful song, or see beautiful colors,
we go beyond function. Our eyes and ears glorify our Creator. Our sensory organs sense our creative Creator. God did not create purely out of function, and perhaps His common grace allows for a common recognition of beauty. God's saving grace permits our new eyes to recognize the beauty of the Creator.

Eastern Garter Snake

 

 If the black widow article did not creep you out enough, here are some photos of an Eastern Garter Snake I found moving around the yard while I was doing some landscaping. Whenever I see a snake, even this harmless non-venomous species, I recall that serpents pose a universal fear that spans human history and cultures. There is good reason, for the snake is a symbol that serves as a constant reminder of the fall. The very real snake in the Garden of Eden, abused by the crafty devil, deceived the very creatures charged with dominion over the animals. This animal is cursed to crawl on its belly and eat dust, giving humans that primal fear that dates back to the fall and immediate explanation of the curse of disobedience to our Creator. This serpent told us we would not die, just simply gain wisdom and be like God. We are now cursed with death and complete corruption of our entire makeup. The totality of our depravity as humans needs little further investigation than the 11 o'clock news, and, thus the depths of our souls shutter at the mere image of a snake. We are cursed to death.

The magnificent grace of our Creator follows that immediate reminder of our common, primal fear. The serpent's head will be crushed by a bruised heel of the offspring of the first woman, Eve. Jesus not only crushes the snake's head, but is the second Adam that is victorious in His sinlessness and triumphant over death. Snakes are a symbol of a tragedy we humans brought upon ourselves declaring rebellion against God. Snakes also pose as a reminder of the coming end to the reign of evil and death. The victory has been won, and we who have our faith in Christ need not fear snakes.