Bear Sanctuary
John Miller
05/20/19
- Windstream Mail
R E F L E C T I O N S Thoughts on nature and the Christian faith - 5/20/19 __________________________________________________________ "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you." - James 4:8 |
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There is a bear sanctuary in upper Minnesota that provides unique opportunities to get close to wild black bears. It has an observation deck on the property where, if the bears cooperate, one can be on the same level with bears as they climb in the adjacent trees. This young fellow was resting in the forks of a nearby tree when he noticed me photographing at a distance. I moved a little closer, and then he did also. I then moved near a branch of the tree that stretched over to where I was and to my surprise, he started walking out the limb toward me. He eventually stopped just a few feet from me and sat down to look intently at me. We both shared several minutes gazing into one another's eyes before he went back to resume his activities on the main trunk of the tree. What a joy it was to share time with a wild animal eye-to-eye. What he thought of me I don't know, but I think he sensed that I would cause him no harm. I know it's probably wrong to ascribe human feelings to wild animals, but I often wonder if God's creatures can communicate with us at a deeper level than we think. All I know is that I came away from this experience not only with a greater appreciation for black bears but also with a greater appreciation for the Creator of black bears. God reveals himself to us primarily through his Son, secondarily through scripture, but also through his creation. Photography has taught me something that hunting never could, that there is something special, something of the hand of God living behind those wild eyes. As crazy as it sounds, I believe that as I drew near to this bear there was a sense in which God drew near to me. Am I right? Take some time to gaze into wild eyes and you tell me. - John
