Protecting Our Most Vulnerable

 I live in the Arctic, and this is reindeer country. In fact, just a short drive from my house, there is a reindeer farm where tourists (and locals, too!) can come to learn about these fascinating animals who are way more than just a mere holiday symbol. But until the other day, I had never heard of "reindeer cyclones." Now that I have, however, my whole mind has been blown... 

Observers of this animal species and the close herd-bond they share have seen a fascinating phenomenon occur from time to time when the reindeer feel agitated or sense a threat: they place the young and the vulnerable at the center of the a moving circle that usually runs counterclockwise, and the stronger reindeer begin this dance of sorts going around and around and around, making it nearly impossible for any predator to target an individual reindeer. Look it up - it's unlike anything you've ever seen!

I remembered how bison place their weak ones in the middle of their own circle, albeit a stationary one, and huddle closely around them to shield them from storms or other threats and suddenly I'm seeing just how much the natural kingdom has to teach us about the Creator and His way. As His Word states so well, the invisible things of God can be clearly seen through His creation so that people are without excuse (Romans 1:20). 

Time and time again, He tells us to look to the animals to find the purest form of truth: learn industriousness from the ant (Proverbs 6:6-8); look to the birds and the flowers and be reminded of God's provision (Matthew 6:26-30); see how God even notices the sparrows and think of how much more valuable you are to Him than they are (Matthew 10:29-31). And now here, I'm shown once more a powerful lesson from the things He has made: we are to look out for the most vulnerable. 

This "reindeer cyclone" thing has been captivated because I realize how natural it is for the animals to protect their weak ones yet, when it comes to people, we leave one another alone. We tear each other apart instead of placing them within the care and shelter of our midst. Rather than make sure they are looked after first, they are often the ones who get left behind. In our busyness and distraction, we neglect the very people who most need our care, letting them fend for themselves and exposing them to the elements of life and spiritual threat when we should be holding them the closest. 

I'm both convicted and challenged. 

When Jesus made it so abundantly clear that children, widows, the bereaved, the sick, the lonely among us hold a special space in His heart, why is it that we rarely stop to understand their struggle, listen to their pain, or take time to make certain they are in the center of our circle of love? Perhaps it's selfishness. Maybe it's ignorance. A combination of many things, even. But the reality is, nature is better at guarding it's vulnerable than we are and, according to God, if humans are of even greater value than the animals, we have a serious issue going on. 

Rulers have militaries and places have security and celebrities have body guards and we even have guard dogs, but who will stand up for the human heart? Who is willing to circle around a hurting soul and let them know they are protected? 

If we are to watch over our  most vulnerable, we can't keep playing the role of those who, unlike the Good Samaritan Jesus spoke of, kept walking on by while the bruised and beaten-up lie bleeding. Someone has to bind up their wounds and create a safe place where they can receive the healing God wants to give them. We are His hands and feet on earth, and we must take up our obligation to think of them first instead of last. 

They say it takes a leader in the reindeer herd to start and eventually end the circle. And maybe the cycle of overlooking the weak can stop with us!

I promise you there's someone in your midst today who needs this special care... somebody who is desperately wanting to be placed in the center of your own circle and shielded from a threat to their physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual well-being. Do you know who they are? Are you brave enough to gather others and start the circle? Maybe all of us, in our own way and our own part of the world, could band together and begin this cyclone of strength that stands up and speaks up for those who can't protect themselves. After all, it's nature's way and it's Jesus's way, and it should be our way, too. 

Go to the reindeer... 

Go to the bison... and learn their ways. They will show you how their Creator wants this world to be, and the change starts with you and I.