The lady at the pet store told me I was a sick individual. I didn’t think so, but then again I am biased and think I’m OK – and my wife tends to agree with me.
The whole thing started because of a small hobby of mine. When I was a little boy my dad bought me binoculars and a bird book (picture: still have that first bird book my dad gave me ).
I sat under trees for hours and kept track of the birds I discovered. It was great fun. How many people have had the pleasure of discovering Indigo Buntings, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Rufous-sided Towhees, or Northern Snowbirds?
Janet and I live in the country with a large field behind our house. Last week a raccoon was hit by a car near our home. It didn’t listen to his mother when she warned him about playing in the road. At least that’s what we told our kids as they were growing up—a lesson in obeying parents!
The lady at the pet store told me I was a sick individual when I told her what I had done. I told her our bird feeders are often visited by the smallest bird in Michigan – the hummingbird – so we thought we would try to attract one of the largest birds in Michigan.
Janet joined me and we were intrigued as nine Turkey Vultures from every corner of the county swirled and swooped, landing around the raccoon to tear the corpse to ribbons with their sharp, hooked beaks. They fought, danced, challenged each other with their wings spread—all while Janet and I watched the show. They came back the next few days until all that was left was a bare skeleton.
We told the grandkids about the vultures and they said, “Bampa, get ‘nother coon! We want see bultures!” So I jumped in the car and found another road-kill-coon and brought him back on the hood of my car. I got more than one shocked look from fellow drivers. I was laughing my head off—kind of like watching people react on Candid Camera.
We’ve even had two bald eagles stop by for dinner!
It got me thinking of what the Bible says about vultures and birds of prey. There are about ten species of high-flying, carrion-eating birds in Israel. They are all lumped together in the Bible. My book Birds of Israel says that one is called an Egyptian Vulture and another the Common Buzzard.
Who could imagine eating an ugly bird that eats such rotten meat? The Jews were also forbidden from eating catfish since they are also bottom feeders. Even today Jewish fishermen kill every catfish they catch to decrease their population in the Sea of Galilee. God forbade Jews from eating such animals—and pigs too.
Word Biblical Commentary thinks it refers to the unmistakable character of Jesus’ Second Coming. As surely as you know that where you see vultures gathered there is a carcass, so you will not be able to miss the coming of the Son of Man.
But others think it means that at the end of time, just as these birds of prey gather where the rotting carcasses are, so the judgments of God will descend upon the corrupt state of humanity. When the world has degenerated to the point that it resembles a maggot-infested corpse, when the world’s cup of iniquity is full, then Christ will condemn the world. The vultures might represent the judgment of God. Jesus mentions these birds once in the gospels.
Carrion eating birds are mentioned again at the judgment in the last days, “Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly in midheaven, ‘Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men,’. . . And the rest were slain by the sword of him who sits upon the horse, the sword that issues from his mouth; and all the birds were gorged with their flesh” (Rev 17:17-21).
Last Sunday at Mass I recited the Nicene Creed and I believed it. “We look for the resurrection of the body and the life of the world to come.” I, for one, expect my flesh to rise on the last day to glory and the beatific vision, not to be torn and eaten by the hooked bills of stinking, unclean birds—symbolic of the judgment and punishment of God.
(Picture: Me in a coffin, a scene about the resurrection from our “Jesus, the Word Became Flesh” movie)
I will also try to convince myself that I am not a sick individual 🙂 By the way, what right did that lady have to call me sick when she was selling me crickets to feed to my tarantula? The nerve of some people!
This Post Has 15 Comments
Awesome story, Mr Steve. You, by all means, are not sick. I believe the issue is people thinking of dead remains in a culture that is scared of anything that resembles death. Maybe they reflect about their own lives and that there is no resurrection or after-life, thus the scare. We, as a faith, believe in something miraculous and beautiful and powerful such as the resurrection, death is not scary in the slightest.
As the law of man alters from the law of God and people not knowing or caring the difference, we are sure to see a chain reaction in loss of morals. Look at how dreadfully close this election is… Regardless who wins, it should NOT be this close. If the lesser of evils wins, we have an idea of what is to come in future elections. How I imagine what our forefathers are thinking right now….
Jim
The recycling of animal flesh is called the circle of life. All you did was move the circle to your back yard so your grandkids could witness it. Now if you want to see “sick” hang out anywhere where the present generation dwells and notice how many tee-shirts and tatoos focus around human death: skulls, skeletons, death and demons. We are becoming so desensitized to death that it’s now fashion ware. Now that is sick.
Patty
Four years ago, I took a course that was for future counselors and social workers. The topic that most of the students, who were living very immoral lives at the time, most feared was the topic of death. Since I have a chronic illness, I face the fact that I may die soon. However, since I converted back to the full practice of my Catholic faith, I am becoming more keenly aware of the effects of the “Culture of Death.” I, for one, was continually lied to by college professors who were either atheists or agnostics. Whenever I hear my professors in grad-school mouthing off, I just respond that the day that professor dies and rises from the dead I will believe him or her.
OOh! I love that line! I will definitely be using that one, Paul!
I can’t remember where I heard this, but I like it: “Good health just mean that you are dying at the slowest possible speed.” But you are dying. The mortality rate for the human race is 100%.
Thank God (literally) for scavengers like Mr. Vulture. If not for them, the earth would be littered with the corpses of rotting animals of all kind who have gone the way of all flesh.
Re: Jesus’ saying above from the Olivet Discourse describing (primarily) the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple in 70 AD, I’ve also heard (from Scott Hahn, I think) that the “vultures” could be translated as “eagles” — Eagles such as were emblazoned on the standards of the Roman soldiers that destroyed the city and Temple.
Off topic theologically, but I thought I’d mention that the Romans were rather fond of vultures. Unlike crows or other birds, they did not go after small livestock or crops. They saw them as excellent omens.
You’re not sick.
In fact, next time you go on a roadkill run, hold up the dead coon and say, “That thar’s good eats!” Lick your lips and rub your belly in delicious anticipation.
“Good health just mean that you are dying at the slowest possible speed.”
I like that! Some people make an idol out of health. Idols are dumb.
PLEASE ! A very good reason for a raccoon to be hit by a car would be that the raccoon was rabid. Yeah, yeah I hear ya, “I’m careful”. Still I could not advise someone to knowingly handle splattered, dead possibly rabid animals. Maybe you could leave dead rabbits or something.
See, this is the way God teaches uneducated people around the world…observation and wisdom.
Hi Steve, it is Raymond your friend. We are now in NC.
Great wit! It will get you in trouble one day. Ha!
Feeding a dead animal to live animals so they can eat, seems logical to me. Owning a tarantula, however…And by the way, Steve, have you become into a snake handler (hair-raising picture at the beginning of the blog)? You obviously are more adventurous than I could ever think about! Blessings to you–Barbara
Sorry about the typo, should have been “have you become a snake handler”. Nobody’s perfect. Thank God He is!
As Clint Eastwood said, in “The Outlaw Josie Wales”, when the younger soldier asked him if they should bury the guys they just killed: “Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms.”
Thank you, Stephen Ray, I needed a good laugh during these troubled times!
Comments are closed.