Monday, August 18, 2008

Holy Crow!

Beauty may only be feather-deep, but I have to rank crows among the ugliest birds in Texas. Ironically, this foul fowl is quite taken with himself. Why do you think the dictionary says that to "crow" is to "boast"? Crows boast, alright. I just can't understand why.

The glass doors to my office building have a mirrored tint on the outside. Every morning a flock of crows is gathered at the mirrored glass, each one vying for a place to gander at his or her own reflection.

It amazes me. I don't see the attraction. At the risk of sounding oxymoronic (or perhaps, moronic), I just want to yell at the crows,
"Have you looked in the mirror lately?"

That's ALL they do! They are enamored with themselves. They like the front view so much that they peck at the glass in an attempt to kiss themselves. They like the side view because they can watch themselves strut. I may have even heard one crow ask another,
"Do these legs make me look fat?"

Crows have no song. They have a note. It's loud and proud. They repeat it constantly. "Caw, caw, caw." Whether they are sitting in trees, flying through the sky, or pecking the church door mirror, it's always a one-noted karaoke contest.

Peacocks can strut. I see their beauty. Mockingbirds can sing. I hear their talent. But crows?

Let me interrupt myself now that I've expressed a great deal of prejudice and judgmentalism toward one species of God's creatures. Jesus said, "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you" (Matthew 7:1-2, NKJV).

In other words, the same way we view others is the same way we will be viewed. It is hard to measure up to our own scrutiny of others. This devotional isn't about crows. It's about Christians. Oh, how we judge one another. My rantings about the crow is an example of how we pick one another apart without ever having pruned in their feathers (aka, walked in their shoes).

To me, the visual image of a crow may be plain and drab. His song may irritate my ears. I may think he's full of himself. But what if "caw" in Crowese means, "Praise God!"? What if his strut is a dance of joy before his Creator? Maybe he's looking in the mirror to try to find the beauty that his Creator sees in him.

Do I need to take this silly illustration any further? Do we get the point? Let's leave the judging to the Judge. Let's not judge a bird by his feathers or a man by what we only choose to see on the outside. There's more to us than meets the eye. God created us in His image. We are precious in His sight.

Even if we get booed off the stage, God loves our song of praise to Him. Even if we take first place in the contest on
www.ugliestpersonalive.com, God has a picture of us in His wallet. The only One who should judge is the One who has all the facts. Only God knows it all. Only God can define beauty. When He looks at you, He sees what no one else sees. And He likes what He sees.

Sorry...I was just in a fowl mood,
Perry Crisp

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