Articles
Red-Bellied Woodpecker
R E F L E C T I O N S
Thoughts on nature and the Christian faith - 5/14/18
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"Remember it is not you who support the root,
but the root that supports you." - Rom. 11:18
Red-bellied woodpeckers are some of my favorite birds. Their beautiful markings add color to the woods on our property and the sound of their beaks hammering on the dead trees echo music to our souls. The power with which they dig into the bark of trees searching for insects makes me wonder how they keep from falling backwards off their perches. The answer is found in their tails. They press their tails against the trees for support and balance. Without the support of their tails they would fall. But woodpeckers are not the only ones who need support. Christians do as well. In the book of Romans, Paul reminded the gentile Christians that their faith is rooted in the Jewish faith which came before them. In a very real sense, as the theologian Francis Schaeffer has written, Christianity is Jewish. What the Israelites were promised in both prophecy and ritual, Jesus fulfilled in reality. We stand on the shoulders of the godly men and women of old. We don't support the root, the root supports us. And that is true throughout the entire history of the church. We are supported by those who came before us. The Christian author John Piper has said that his best friends are dead people. After reading the biblical insights of some of the giants of the faith from former generations, I know what he means. It is to our detriment that we know so little of Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Edwards, Spurgeon and others who defended and accurately articulated the Christian faith. We are supported by the lives and wisdom of men and women who have been given to us by God for our strengthening. Not to learn from them is foolish. Without their support, we are all in danger of falling. - John
- Red-Bellied_Woodpecker.odt (86.20 kB)
