What do you see in this picture?
Adapted from www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=2880
Yes, you see a lot of penguins huddling together. This is what you can liken to a penguin 'ritual' every winter. It is their form of survival in the extreme cold conditions that they live in. By literally sandwhiching each other together, they allow their body heat to transfer among each other to prevent them from chilling to death. This is the only way they can survive the blizzard. Anyone who separates from the pack dies.
It is not hard to tell that those standing in the middle of the pack will be the ones that gets the most heat and thus, the most comfortable. For those standing at the edge, they are the ones suffering the most. As we can see from the picture, thick coats of ice crystalize on their feathers. Not very bearable yeah? Can you imagine being coated with ice?
This image captivated me so strongly that I decided to share. It just suddenly cross my mind and I believe I have the obligation to share it with all my Christian brothers and sisters. We can compare ourselves to penguins. Each and everyone of us as Christians are like penguins. We are surviving in the cold, harsh world. As Christians, we need to continually give each other spirtual support in the form of fellowship and encouragement. However, we should always remember the great commission that Jesus gave us, that is to go out and make disciples for his kingdom. Many times, I find many Christians, myself included, being too caught up within our own comfort zone. We are just like the penguins in the middle of the pack. We only like to associate with people around us, people we are farmiliar with. Some may even choose to associate with just Christian friends. That's where we find the most warmth as the farmiliar faces of brothers and sisters in Christ never fail to comfort us. But we can't always stay in the center of of the herd. We can't always be the one enjoying the most warmth. When the time comes, we need to pull ourselves out from our comfort zone and venture into the colder, harsh outskirts.
It is those that are located in the outskirt that are of paramount importance to the survival of the herd. They are the ones that guide other penguins back into the herd. They are the ones that welcome the other penguins to join. They are the ones that gets the least warmth but doing the most important job. Without them to guide the returning penguins, the incoming penguin will not be able to bring the food back into the herd. Likewise, as Christians, sometimes we need to venture beyond our comfort zone. We need to go out and invite new people to join us within this circle of huddle. Only when the numbers increase will there be more people to share the warmth and love together, ensuring our continual survival. The world may be harsh, but if we congregate together, Christ's love will bundle us with joy and peace.
It is not easy being at the frontline of the herd. Many people choose to remain in the centre of the herd. We can't just ensure our own survival. We need to have the goal of bigger picture in mind. We've got to move on to bigger things, greater responsibilities. We've got to step out of our comfort zone and venture into places where our help is needed the most. Once, you received the most warmth. Now it is the time to show the same love and kindness to people whom you've never known. May it be that God grant us the courage to be that penguin on the outskirt of the fellowship. May He grant us the strength (or the fats, haha) to keep us warm by stepping out for Him. May we have His will in our minds in place of our own selfish wills. May He be the rising sun across the horizon that gives us all hope. Thank You LORD.
http://www.splashofcolour.net.au/Image/PenguinChick.JPG
SO WHAT KIND OF PENGUIN ARE YOU?
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