by Caryl Moll
The African Rock Pigeon chicks fledged a few days ago: fully feathered and perfect for flight. It’s only their colouring that’s different from their parents. They have been nurtured for over a month now by dedicated parents. They are beautifully formed and fully capable for life above the rooftops.
Yet, as I sit and watch their antics, I can only feel sorry for those poor parents. Sounds of loud, persistent, baby chirping can be heard from the branches near me as the fledglings pester their providers. It’s nagging, uncomfortable and somewhat irritating as my empathy falls to the adults. Somehow these young birds still feel its ok to pretend they are still babies. They fly at an adult with their wings splayed – almost knocking the poor bird over – until he/she relents and regurgitates all their seed for them.
It’s not lost on me that we are talking about fully capable young birds that have seed laid out for them only a few meters away. Yet they prefer to beg and steal from the adults – fully convinced that this is ok.
“Help me! Help me!” they seem to be shouting. “I can’t do it! I can’t!”
Do they want to be babies forever?
“Go on. Get it yourself” I’m tempted to call out. “God’s given you wings….FLY!”
Dear reader, I imagine that this may sound familiar? Take a look at the passage below and see if you agree with me.
With love, in Christ
Caryl
—xXx—
Hebrews 5:11-14
Warning Against Falling Away
11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.