of all the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, .. and creatures that creep and crawl °
"Oh Daddy," said the boy up to his Dad,
"I'm scared of that big animal out there.
It didn't know that many humans had
a nap in arvos, and made time to spare
within their lives, for anyone who comes
by, or drops in to see what could be done.
Or else that humans might do all their sums,
assess, and say "No more! - Though it's been fun."
The animal weighs all it's instincts up,
along with its desires at current time,
and too with any training since a pup,
or cub, or calf, .. out comes what's been designed.
And we ourselves are also animals,
with all those options that they have, and yet,
the option's there for us, above the smells
and pheromones, to choose and also bet.
But if we put an animal in charge
of us, instead of ruling wise and well
- they can be faster, see further, be large-
er than we are, but can't save Earth from Hell.
I know the HUMAN one, who's called the Son
of Adam (meaning True Humanity)
he freely chose, as wisdom would have done,
abstaining hellish animality,
and said he led us right, past "life" that's dead.
And I believe him. Those few stories did
the trick in op-en-ing inside my head,
and pouring in potential, as they slid!
* From the backstory to the Jewish Passover remembrance meal: "One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and saw their forced labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his kinsfolk. He looked this way and that, and seeing no one he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. When he went out the next day, he saw two Hebrews fighting; and he said to the one who was in the wrong, “Why do you strike your fellow Hebrew?” He answered, “Who made you a ruler and judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh. He settled in the land of Midian, and sat down by a well. After a long time the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned under their slavery, and cried out. Out of the slavery their cry for help rose up to God. God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God looked upon the Israelites, and God took notice of them. Ex 2:11-15, 23-25 NRSV-CI
Jesus, linking the popular thrust to look to him as a ruler and Judge, back to their bigger national story, that had been and was expected to come: "When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how you are to defend yourselves or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you ought to say.” Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Then he told them a parable:... So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.” Lk 12:11-16, 21 NRSV-CI
From Steven (the first Christian Martyr's witness to the Jewish people in their Temple, tying their story in with Yeshua their Messiah, whom they missed: "But the man who was wronging his neighbor pushed Moses aside, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? … “It was this Moses whom they rejected when they said, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ and whom God now sent as both ruler and liberator through the angel who appeared to him in the bush." Acts 7:27, 35 NRSV-CI
° From the first oracle in the Torah: Then God said, “Let us make adam in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” So God created adam in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. Gen 1:26-28, 31 (+see footnotes of NRSV-CI)
From a reflection on the first oracle in the Torah, in the days of the prophet- King David: JB PSALMS Chapter 8 Of David; For the choirmaster. On the … of Gath[*a] (+see footnotes of translations on verse 5 e.g. NASB)
1Yahweh, our Lord,
how great your name throughout the earth!
Above the heavens is your majesty chanted
2 by the mouths of children, babes in arms.
You set your stronghold firm against your foes
to subdue enemies and rebels.
3 I look up at your heavens, made by your fingers,
at the moon and stars you set in place –
4 ah, what is man that you should spare a thought for him,
the son of man that you should care for him?
5 Yet you have made him little less than a god,
you have crowned him with glory and splendour,
6 made him lord over the work of your hands,
set all things under his feet,
7 sheep and oxen, all these,
yes, wild animals too,
8 birds in the air, fish in the sea
travelling the paths of the ocean.
9 Yahweh, our Lord,
how great your name throughout the earth!
From a reflection on this reflection in light of Messiah's coming, and first anointing, but in the days when many still don't acknowledge him: "Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. But someone has testified somewhere, “What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them? You have made them for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honor, subjecting all things under their feet.” Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying, “I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters, in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.” And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Here am I and the children whom God has given me.” Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested. Heb 2:5-18 NRSV-CI
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