Hummingbird Wars

I always thought of hummingbirds as being a sort of magical creature aloof from the trivial and mundane. You know the kind. In flight like little angels, they are the genus of bird that would be model citizens in the terrene of fowl. After all, they can fly backwards. That is quite special in the birds’ macrocosm. How can you have a beef with a backward-flying bird? But I guess when you live in a world where everybody flies backward it isn’t really all that special.

The little guys are very territorial. Anybody with a hummingbird feeder knows about this. They find a bountiful supply of that delicious sweet nectar and stake a claim. All other comers beware. I don’t care if you just flew in from Brazil parched and your elongated tiny tongue is lagging out, you aren’t invited over for drinks. The little bug-eating carnivores stop at the feeder for some carbs and to wash down the bug guts, I guess. But each one wants his own space and his survival depends on it.

Gentle as they may appear there is good reason to defend their territory. He has a wife and three kids who need shoes and they are counting on him to bring home the bacon. So, if hummingbird Joe just barges in and lands on the feeder there will be war among the birds of a feather. Frail but fierce these mighty miniature warriors dominate without fear. Proof that even hummingbirds if provoked, will do what they must to survive.

On June 5^th 1967 the Israeli army launched what would be called a “preemptive” strike on Egypt. The Egyptian’s and allied Arab’s caucus belli or “justified” act of war that provoked Israel’s audacious anticipatory operation was to blame. Ports were blockaded and trade routes cut off to the Israelis. That coupled with the forayer on their borders was proof enough. The mantra of the Egyptian soldiers was “defeat Israel-death to the Jews”.

The Israeli response to these very real threats was so severe and swift that the offending armies were overwhelmed. They simply never anticipated the fury of the little nation with something to lose. Like stinging yellowjackets whose nest had been disturbed they soared up from the ground. In quadrangle formation the Israeli sorties flew low through gaps in Egyptian radar. As one set of planes finished its bombing run the next set of four was already in route with another load of hurt providing no time for recovery. They targeted the Egyptian Air Force runways first followed by the destruction of parked bombers to demise threats to Israeli cities. Most of the Egyptian planes lie burning on the ground and never got into the air. Their crack-trained ground troops moved into enemy territory with lightening speed and rolled over their belligerent opponent. The hopes of Egypt and their Arab neighbors were shattered as their offence turn to defense, then to full on retreat. Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt from which they had staged the port blockade fell without resistance. Having already heard of the defeat of their comrades, all the opposing soldiers fled the scene.

Thusly did the Six Day War find eminence in world history. It was not just a skirmish over which ship got to come into the harbor on a given day. It was not about rhetoric or political posturing though all of those may have been ongoing. It was not even about territory. Ultimately it was about the preservation of a people. So strong was their resolve that they would rise to the occasion or die.

To the disciples of Jesus that is known as courage, a word rarely used and perhaps rightly so. Courage is rare indeed. It describes the selfless, altruistic, gallant, valiant man or woman whose cause is Right. They are those who would literally die for The Faith. We must first learn that Faith is not subjective but objective; that is it is outside of ourselves. The Faith isn’t designer jeans we put on if we like them and take them off when the fad fades. It stands ever the same; immutable because it is synonymous with God’s character. When we as believers really believe that Jesus is the Christ and the only Christ, we will have a war on our hands. Jesus Himself said, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.” (NLT)

Evidence says there have been more Christians killed for The Faith in the past one-hundred years than in all the previous years the Church has existed. Paul wrote, ^“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men [and women] of courage; be strong. [But] do everything in love.” (NIV) There are those who have learned that there is nothing worth living for unless it is worth dying for. 470 of us died today.

How does Syncretism impinge on you and your Faith in Jesus as the only Christ?

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Steven Blanton