Peering into an exhibit at the Omaha Zoo, looking to see a Madagascar Reed Frog, I learned something about myself. The reed frogs were hard to find because their habitat is dark and there are plenty of places for the little guys to hide. However, after letting my eyes adjust and being patient, I eventually became aware that the exhibit was filled with what must have been a Reed Frog Family reunion. There were frogs on every leaf and branch playing games of leapfrog and catch the fruit fly.
Something else I noticed was that most of the humans walking past the exhibit gave it a quick look, saw nothing, and kept going. At the zoo, it is easy to spot the elephants, giraffes, and gorillas, but discovering the animals with camouflage is much more difficult. I wonder how many people visit the zoo and see nothing but elephants.
I’ve also noticed that many people read their Bibles in the same way they visit the zoo. They readily see the Gospel Elephants—the big things that can’t be missed, like God so loved the world, and I’m not supposed to murder, but they miss the details like images and metaphors. They satisfy themselves with the first and most obvious interpretations and then move on to the next exhibit (Oops, I meant to say verse). Hopefully, this verse will have something I don’t have to work to understand.
Don’t get me wrong, I love to see the elephants, but I don’t want them to be all I see. Taking the time to discover the Bible’s details is a most rewarding pursuit.