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Public
Broadcasting System documentary on wolves was most enlightening to me. A wildlife biologist spent years studying
and filming a wolf pack in Idaho. What
he learned has important spiritual lessons for us.
A wolf pack is an extended family.
They live and work together as a unit.
They share the kill of wild game.
They share duties of raising their young. Contrary to popular belief that wolves are dangerous to humans,
the documentary said there is no authenticated case of wolves killing humans in
America.
The most striking characteristic of the wolf pack
is its social organization. There is a
rigid social pecking order, from top to bottom. Each wolf knows his or her rank in the pack. The biologist calls the “top dog” the “alpha
wolf.” This animal is usually the
biggest, strongest, and smartest wolf of the pack. He is the real, active, leader of the pack, the inspiration for
everything the pack does. He decides
where the pack hunts, and who eats first when a kill is made. The alpha wolf is the only one who
mates. The other wolves pay obeisance
to him by laying on their backs, while he somewhat playfully, somewhat
seriously, acts like he is biting their necks.
The beta wolf is second in command.
He is usually entrusted with the important function of teaching the
young wolf pups.
The rank continues in the pack, down to the
underdog, the “omega wolf,” the lowest of the low. All the other wolves pick on this poor
fellow. He has to wait for the scraps
of food that the other wolves leave, after they are full. They snarl and snap at the omega wolf at
every turn. He often has to humbly go
about with his tail between his legs, and lay on his back to all the other
wolves while they pick at him and humiliate him. His only hope is that some other loser will take over his ugly
rank so he can move up a notch. You
sure wouldn’t want to be an omega wolf.
I was struck by the similarity of people to wolves.
In high school, we had an “omega wolf.” His last name, appropriately, was Zedwick. His fellow students continually made fun of
him. When anything went wrong, “Zed”
was blamed. Zedwick was the last of the
alphabet, and the bottom of the heap.
He was the butt of jokes, ridiculed, shamed, and laughed at. He was often set up by one or more cruel
practical jokers. Although I was not
one of his major tormentors, I am sorry to admit that at times, I, too, picked
on him. As usually happens, when
someone thinks you are stupid, makes fun of you at every turn, you often act the
way people think of you (this is known as the “Pygmalion Effect”). It is a law of human nature that we often
become what others think of us. Yes,
Zedwick did often do some dumb things.
But, as I understand now, the rest of us “wolves” helped to make him act
this way. Are you an “omega brother” or
“omega sister” in the Church?
The Messiah, during His three and one half year ministry, was kind of
an “omega wolf.” In Revelation 1:11,
He said, “I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last.” For years, I have misunderstood this
verse. Alpha and Omega are the first
and last letters of the Greek alphabet.
In Hebrew, it would be Aleph and Tov, and in English, A and Z. I erroneously thought that He meant in this
verse that He was saying He has always existed, and will always exist. It is true that the Messiah has no
beginning, and no end. However, this is
NOT what this verse is saying. The
alphabet is NOT a chronology, but an ordered ranking. Our school grading system gives an “A” for
the top grade, on down to an “F” for a failing grade. By saying He was the Alpha and Omega, Jesus stated that He is the
first and last in rank: the top dog, and the underdog.
The first time the Messiah came, He was a man of sorrows, acquainted
with grief, despised, ridiculed, and scorned, Isaiah 53; Psalm 22. As He said, “I gave My back to the smiters,
and My cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not My face from shame
and spitting,” Isaiah 50:6.
Compassed about with dogs, Psalm 22:16, He never lost His cool; He
took it all, for you, and for me. And
so it is today, that when Christians are persecuted, it is in reality for
Christ, in His place, that they are scorned and ridiculed, called names of
humiliation. Mockers of God do not
curse our names nearly so much as they curse the Messiah’s name. Jesus is still the Omega, in God’s people
today.
And when our Savior gloriously returns, He will be the Alpha to the
whole world, as He is to us right now.
He will rule the world with the rod of His mouth, Isaiah 11:4; Revelation
12:5, 19:15.
Now why did the Messiah first become the Omega, and later will become
the Alpha? Because His reign will be
tempered by knowing what it is like to the underdog. The captain — the Alpha — of our salvation was made perfect
through His sufferings, Hebrews 2:10-11. Jesus knows what it is like to be the Omega, the underdog. He has great compassion for the lowly, the
poor, the needy, the oppressed, the shamed, the spit upon.
Many in the Sabbath-keeping community today, will tell you that the
main problem in the Church is that all too many want to be the Alpha, the top
dog. This is the problem of
Nicolaitanism, those who desire to rule over the brethren. Christ, however, already has the Alpha
position. That job, that rank, has
already been taken. Those who strive
for rulership over the brethren are in danger of being cast out by the Alpha,
and thus becoming lone wolves.
Actually, a far greater problem, rarely mentioned, but far more
prevalent, is the Omega problem. All
too many of us create Omegas, scapegoats, underdogs, Zedwicks, of our
brethren. This is usurping of a
different kind. The bottom job, the
lowly position of Omega, is already taken as well, by Christ! He is the Alpha and Omega, the top and the
bottom, the first and the last. The
rest of us are merely brethren.
Perhaps no other forum tends to create snarling wolves labeling other
wolves as Omegas, like the Internet.
E-mail wrangling, chat room brouhahas, and such, are often uncivil, and,
in my opinion, ungodly. Recently, Mr. X
had the audacity to send me a series of back and forth E-mails with another
person, which he thought proved that Mr. Y should be shunned by the rest of
us. He referred to “Y” as “a fringer
and a nut case.” Others, like a pack of
wolves, jumped into the fray, labeling “Y” as “deranged,” full of “madness,” a
“religious whacko,” and other such slanders.
The series of E-mails proved no such thing, except that these
individuals were acting like vicious wolves.
These frothy name-callers are not ordinary folk, but supposed leaders
of the Sabbatarian community. I too
have done this sort of thing, and I am ashamed of myself. To his credit, Mr. X later admitted his
conduct was improper. Although wolves
can teach us important object lessons, it appears that human wolf packs are
sometimes even more malicious than the animal variety.
Mr. “Y,” whom these folks were attacking, definitely has some wrong
theological ideas. But, that does not
justify others to utter unkind, un-Christian ridicule and name-calling. When you get people accustomed to blazing on
the computer keyboard all their aggressions and passions, you have an ideal
venue for Satan to do his work. With
this kind of accusation and backbiting, we are doing the work of Satan for him.
Remember, the Omega position is already taken by the Messiah: “I am
the Alpha and Omega…” Revelation 1:8, 21:6, 22:13. We should defend the omega underdog
brethren, have compassion for the poor, the needy, the ridiculed, the one
everyone picks on. In so doing, we
honor our Savior.
False prophets and princes in the Church today are all too often like
roaring lions, ravening wolves, Ezekiel 22:23-28. Like the Chaldeans who devastated God’s
people, they violently ride the Internet, scoffing, deriding others, and are
themselves “more fierce than evening wolves,” Habakkuk 1:6-10. We should not cut anyone’s dignity to the
bone like an evening wolf, Zephaniah 3:3. If Jesus told you to beware of people with the characteristics of
wolves, would you follow His instruction, or would you instead engage in harsh
computer keyboard rhetoric? Please read
Matthew 7:15-16. Today’s flock
is infected with “grievous wolves,” Acts 20:29-30.
Instead of being a wolf, we need to be a lamb, a smart one who knows
how to avoid a confrontation with a wolf.
“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye
therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves,” Matthew 10:16. See also Luke 10:3.
It took a wolf television documentary to teach me that I have at times
acted like a wolf, when I should be a lamb.
While many continue to flog omega brethren in the Church, the day is
coming when they will learn, and turn from their ways. In the World Tomorrow, “The wolf also shall
dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf
and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead
them,” Isaiah 11:6. “The wolf
and the lamb shall feed together . . . They shall not hurt nor destroy in all
My holy mountain, saith the Lord,” Isaiah 65:25. God speed that day!
— written by Richard C. Nickels W
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ne day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw
a kid from my class walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like
he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, “Why would anyone bring
home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd.
I had quite a weekend planned, parties and a
football game with my friends the next afternoon, so I shrugged my shoulders
and went on. As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward
him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and
tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them
land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible
sadness in his eyes. My heart went out to him.
So, I jogged over to him and as he crawled around
looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye. As I handed
him his glasses, I said, “Those guys are jerks. They really should get lives.”
He looked at me and said, “Hey thanks!” There was a big smile on his face. It
was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude. I helped him
pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.
As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked
him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private school
before now. I would have never hung out with a private school kid before. We
talked all the way home, and I carried his books. He turned out to be a pretty
cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play football on Saturday with me and my
friends. He said yes. We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know
Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.
Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again. I
stopped him and said, “Boy, you’re gonna really build serious muscles with this
pile of books everyday!” He just laughed and handed me half the books.
Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends. When we were seniors,
we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown, and I was going to
Duke. I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a
problem. He was going to be a doctor, and I was going for business on a
football scholarship. Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased
him all the time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for graduation.
I was so glad it wasn’t me having to get up there and speak. Graduation
day came, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He was one of those guys that really
found himself during high school. He filled out and actually looked good in
glasses. He had more dates than I, and all the girls loved him. Boy, sometimes
I was jealous.
Today was one of those days. I could
see that he was nervous about his speech. So, I smacked him on the back and
said, “Hey, big guy, you’ll be great!” He looked at me with one of those
looks (the really grateful one) and smiled. “Thanks,” he said. He
started his speech, cleared his throat and began. “Graduation is a time to
thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents,
your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach... but mostly your friends. I am
here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can
give them. I am going to tell you a story.”
I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he
told the story of the first day we met. He had planned to kill
himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his
Mom wouldn’t have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He looked
hard at me and gave me a little smile. “Thankfully, I was saved. My friend
saved me from doing the unspeakable.”
I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy
told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his mom and dad looking at me and
smiling that same grateful smile. Not until that moment did I realize its
depth. Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one
small gesture you can change a person’s life. For better or for worse, God puts
us all in each other’s lives to impact one another in some way. Look for God in
others. You now have two choices, you can: 1) Pass this on
to your friends, or 2) Delete it and act like it didn't touch your
heart. As you can see, I took choice number 1. — from the Internet W
“Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have
trouble remembering how to fly.”