Snubbing Seals

       I was watching a National Geographic documentary today, and learned something new (and that’s always a very good thing). It seems that Killer Whales maintain a steady diet of seals. They have been known to literally slide their immense bodies up onto a beach in pursuit of the smaller prey. But that’s not even the most amazing part of it. These beautiful black and white mammals have also been seen rescuing, what only a moment before, was their favorite cuisine. I must still be shaking my head, with a silly little smile on my face. Because the film cannot lie, and now I see the massive creature frolicking in the waves, while all the while pushing a little seal towards the shore, and “snubbing” it gently onto the beach. Perhaps the old whale had eaten it’s full, or maybe, just maybe it experienced a rare moment of compassion.

      As human beings we exercise so little grace. There’s an old, but terrible adage about Christians… that we kill our wounded. There was a song once; though I can’t recall the name of it. But one line went something like, “Don’t let another wounded soldier die.”

     Maybe we can learn a lesson from the “Killer” whale.

By William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from "Unconventional Devotions" Copyright 2005