This is not a good photo, but the subject is important. This is as close as I am likely to get to a California condor. The photo was taken at the San Diego zoo's Wild Animal Park. California condors are on the brink of extinction. Heroic efforts are being taken so that they don't become extinct. Adult condors have wingspans of up to 3 yards/meters. Like many other birds that feed on dead animals, condors have almost naked heads.
Genesis 1:26
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (ESV)
Part of God's charge to humans was to take care of other creatures, which is often referred to as stewardship. Although we must have other priorities, part of our job is to try to keep other types of living things alive. This photo was first posted to our Flickr photostream. As a viewer there commented, we haven't done a great job of keeping other species alive.
Thanks for reading, and looking.
4 comments:
I remember watching a documentary when I was a pretty little girl about California Condors, and how they can have over a 10' wingspan, and how since that time I have always wanted to see one (never have, still hope too). Its interesting one of the first things God commands us to do in Genesis is to take care of the world in which He entrusts us. Yet, somehow it was a surprise to all mainstream media (or at least CNN) a few days ago when a group of evangelical Christians came out to lobby for more strict environmental policy. Then, CNN showed a Focus on the Family representative talking about how Christians should not focus on the environment, but should concern themselves only with "sanctity of life" issues. While I do agree that a human life is more important than animal or plant life, it does not dimish the importance of being the best caretakers of this world that we can be. And I think the sanctity of life can include taking care of the world around us so that those who come after us can enjoy the life they have been given.
We used to read about these way back in grade school. Maybe in the Weekly Reader.
All life is sacred. Human life is not more important than animal or plant life, although we eat animals and plants. To create an artificial hierarchy where we say one life for is more sacred than another is to miss the point that the Holy Spirit and the Life Force flows through all living things,and even is manifested in the inert and non-living. Our goal as spiritual beings should be to eliminate anything which blocks the Life Force flowing through us.
Thanks for your comment, Jack.
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