The Crow

by admin on June 22, 2009 in Book Flavor, My Listening Year with 1 Comment

That advertisement in our province pains me… you know the one that encourages you not to give to PANHANDLERS… it makes me sad that such a label is used to encourage you not to see those men and women as our brothers and sisters and that you are encouraged to not interact with them personally…

This all came to mind as I read a story about a preacher last night. He rescued a crow, that his son found, trapped by thorns at a dump. He was greatly criticized by farmers who can only see crows as enemies who steal their corn. While explained he totally sees their point of view he explained the parable he saw in the situation…

“And as I saw the Crow from day to day, I considered how content he was not to rob cornfields when other food was furnished unto him, and I wondered how many darkened lives have been made predatory because there was no way found to feed them from that which would have cost others little. For it is not the fault of the Crow, as I suppose, that he hath no red breast like the Robin, or beautiful song like the Nightingale.”

“…but he who holdeth in his hand a living thing that the Thorns have cruelly wounded must not be chided from his Compassion.”

(Parables of a Country Parson, by William E. Barton, pg 188)

Later that day I watched a cheeze-y program I usually wouldn’t stop for but it was rainy and I was in the right mood. It surprisingly had an amazing message, ‘you are your brothers keeper’ and the poor and broken are our brothers. They aren’t ‘the panhandlers’ or ‘the mentally ill’ or so on and so forth but are PEOPLE! I cried and cried as I watched, and not because of the poor acting, but because it was a good message.

I have been wanting to read a very intense book about all this and want to recommend it to you to try out. ‘Under the Overpass” By Mike Yankoski (www.UnderTheOverpass.com) Two regular guys decided to live totally like our poor in a big city and they reveal very honestly how dehumanizing it is out there.

Oh Lord may I never be susceptible or part of dehumanizing rhetoric and labeling of my brothers and sisters.

TTFN

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One Comment on "The Crow"

  1. Prairie Chick says:
    July 7, 2009 at 10:02 pm

    wow. sounds like a good read, good for those guys for stepping out like that!

    Reply

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