Losing Our Instinct

My dog disappointed me this morning.  I have a miniature dachshund that is very much like a third child to BJ and me.  We love her and our kids love her.  She is a symbol of faith, prayer, and providence for our son (it’s a long story).  She is fat and lazy, but I don’t fault her for that

.  We, too are fat and lazy and don’t take her for walks.  She fits our family well.  What disappointed me was something that had to do with her supposed breeding and “natural” instinct.  This morning as I was checking email and our dwindling bank account online, Coco (as she is known) scratched on the door of Andrew’s room, asking to be let out.  Not wanting her to pee on the carpet, I got up and let her out the front door.  Coco did her usual jaunt towards the car tires to sniff where we had driven the previous day, and to sniff around the edge of the driveway, not wanting to commit to getting into the wet grass until she was sure of where she was going to do her “business.”  As I neared the edge of our front porch I was startled to see a rabbit sitting wide-eyed no more than a few feet away from Coco.  I froze, as did the rabbit except for it’s chewing of the clover it had in its mouth.  I realized that we had come upon the little creature quite quickly and without warning so it’s natural defense mechanism had kicked in… stand still and blend in.  Normally this would have worked, but the little fella was surrounded by Kelly-green grass, and he was quite contrasting with his brown-ish grey fur.  I braced myself for the cacophony of growling, barking, and excited whining as well as the ensuing chase that would inevitably happen.  I quickly thought of what the neighbors would think as they saw that weird out-of-work preacher running through their back-yard in his pajama pants chasing a fat and stumbling wiener dog desperately trying to catch a zippy rabbit. And then it happened… Coco did nothing.  She never looked up.  Doesn’t she smell it?  The dog that can smell frozen chicken from across the house can’t smell the rabbit two feet away?  The dog that can distinguish one rubber ball from the other simply by smell, cannot smell this furry woodland creature?  What?!!!  She’s a HOUND!  They are bred to smell… her breed specifically to sniff out badgers and dig them out of their holes.  Rabbits and badgers can’t be that different.  The dachshund I grew up with used to hunt every creature that ever ventured into our back yard: squirrel, rabbit, snake, opossum, birds, meter-readers…  

This spectacle of dog sniffing merely feet away from its natural prey took place for about a minute when the rabbit finally realized he could make a clean getaway and, like a ninja-bunny, leaped away and disappeared in silence.  Coco, never knew it was there.  I was both disappointed and relieved all at the same time.  Relieved because I didn’t have to chase my dog in my pajamas, but disappointed because my dog had lost some of her dog-ness. 

            Of course, this got me thinking… big surprise, huh?  How am I like Coco (besides the fat and lazy part)?  Have I lost some of my instinct?  Have I grown numb and dull to things that had once stimulated my spiritual senses?  Have we as Christians become so accustomed to our carefully crafted sub-culture that we have lost our ability to be sensitive to the lost?  It’s a big leap, but stay with me.  My dog, despite her instinctive breeding, has grown to recognize a different “prey” from her natural ones.  Instead of her ears perking up and tail wagging at the smell of rabbits, squirrels, armadillos, or snakes, she gets that way about bacon grease, potato chips, chew toys, and scrambled eggs.  Now, I’m not saying she won’t go nuts if she actually sees one run across the yard, but she rarely recognizes them, and she definitely doesn’t look for them.  Most Christians will get all excited and wiggly when a willing “lost person”, or seeker, is plopped right in front of them, but they rarely recognize them on their own, and they definitely don’t look for them.  We have grown used to chasing after cool programs, self-serving events, and good, clean, christian fun.  I have served in churches that are so caught up in pursuing their wants and “passions” that they fail to see the “rabbit” standing two feet away.  Can I blame them?  Yes and no.  Yes because I believe in the “priesthood of believers” (1 Peter 2:9) and everyone who claims to be a follower of Christ is given the responsibility, the commission of teaching and baptizing “the world” into the discipleship of Christ.  No, because they are undoubtedly operating under the example of their pastor(s) who more than likely has either become occupied in building his/her own kingdom or in making his/her congregation happy so as to insure job security. 

            This morning I read John Piper and he wrote about Jesus being both the Lion and the Lamb.  He mentioned what Jonathan Edwards called an “admirable conjunction of diverse excellencies.”  In other words, we find in Jesus two excellent “natures” being exhibited that would normally seem contradictory.  He is the meek Lamb, willing to be led into slaughter and also the kingly Lion who wages war against sin and the Enemy.  I believe we have lost sight of the Lion of Judah because we have become comfortable in the work of the Lamb of God.  In John 1:29-34 we see John (the Baptist) proclaiming Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of man.  He is pointing out Jesus as the savior of the world, and as the Son of God.  What I found interesting about this was the fact that John made a point of saying that he didn’t know this about Jesus, even though he was supposed to prepare the way for Him (remember, John was Jesus’ cousin so he knew Him personally).  What tipped him off was the “anointing” of the Holy Spirit.  He said he saw the Spirit of God descend upon Jesus like a dove.  Whether it was an actual dove or the spirit descended in the same manner as a dove would it doesn’t really matter.  What matters is that John was able to recognize the Spirit of God as it descended.  Had John become so caught up in his ministry, he could have lost sight of the real reason he was there.  John had many followers, and was quite popular.  We know this because the religious establishment felt threatened enough to send thugs to question him about his “authority.”  I pray that I am more like John and less like my dog (go ahead and laugh).  I want to see the rabbits.  I want to get excited about reaching a culture divorced from God.  I don’t want to be so immersed in the Christian sub-culture that I lose sight of the real world around me.  Lord, keep me from becoming like those who cannot see Your harvest.  Keep my instincts sharp.  Keep me aware and in tune.  Help me to recognize Your Spirit as it moves and works.  Give me work that would put me in the culture I am supposed to minister to.  Give us a home in the area where we are supposed to serve.  Open doors and close doors so we can effectively deliver and administer the gospel to Your people.