BULLOCH ARTICLE

 

Lanny and Monica Lanier's son, Tagg decided to hunt deer on their place right before Christmas 2009, so he walked out the door and out into the field. He began to hear strange noises reverberating through the cool, crisp air and it sounded like the grunting and rattling of deer. He moved in the direction of the noise to see what was going on and he couldn't believe his eyes - two rather large bucks in a life and death struggle. They literally paid him no attention. Tagg raised his .25.06 Browning loaded with Winchester bullets to his shoulder and touched one off. One buck fell stone dead. The other, probably enraged from the battle and stunned by the sudden intrusion, just froze in his tracks. Another sure shot put him down near where the other one fell. That unusual occurrence added two nice bucks to Tagg's much larger trophy from a previous year, according Lanny, his proud dad.

 

The only incident that even rivals that one was one that happened near Soperton about fifteen years ago. A lady hunter came to the deer processing plant with three six-pointers that looked like triplets. She was in violation of the law, but, as she sat on her stand, one of them jumped a fence to her side and she shot him. The other two follow shortly and she killed them, too. They were far inferior deer to Tagg's but still that was quite a feat.

 

The Lanier deer bring some important truths to mind. The "law of the jungle" brings on mortal combat among animals. Sometimes, it used to among humans, when they settled their rivalries over women or other issues with a gun or fists. We are more "civilized" these days, but we hold grudges and run down those who offend us to others.

 

Bucks go from one doe to another and have no sense of morality. People are, sadly, the same way at times. I know of one couple in an Atlanta church who decided to swap mates. Incident after incident comes to light of church people running around on their spouses, a la the Tiger Woods and John Edwards (to name only two) incidents. I understand that the divorce rate is about the same for couples inside the church as outside. Bucks have no sense of loyalty in raising their offspring. When the fawn is conceived, they disappear and the doe has the job of providing, protecting, and nurturing.

 

I wonder if deer can communicate and if those "couples" can depend on what is being said. Among humans, it is difficult to know who you can believe. Word was bond just a few years back. Today, even among Christians, the by-word is "you can't count on if it isn't in writing". Some marriages have prenuptial agreements that describe who-owns-what if the marriage is dissolved. How sad that distrust is evident, sometimes, even from the beginning.

 

We have lost track of what it is to have civility, integrity, morality, and dependability in so many cases. Even with Tagg's deer, such things got them into trouble. God's expectations for believers is far above that. Philippians 4:8 Says, "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things."

 

I would challenge all of us to examine ourselves and take our lives to a deeper level and not accept the "law of the jungle" that is destroying our families and relationships. Read our verse over again and take it to heart.

 

Prayer: Lord, deliver me from accepting anything less than Your word for my standard of living. In Your Sweet Name, amen.

 

Blessings,

 

Bob Green