Last Saturday was hot here in Indian River, so we made a break for come cooler weather in the U. P. On our trip, we made our first visit to the Garlyn Zoo in Naubinway. We loved seeing the many birds and animals—especially since I’ve been studying how God saved Noah and all those critters on the ark.
The Zoo is tucked away in the up-north woods and surprises you with beautiful tigers, lions, lemurs, and much more. But one of the most popular exhibits is the Syrian Brown Bears and their dog, King.
The story goes that the first bear, Millie, was brought to Garlyn Zoo as a cub who was sad and lonely. King was a lab-mix shelter dog in need of a home. When they introduced King to Millie, dog and bear became best friends. They added a new bear friend, Hutch, along the way. Now, you know dogs and bears are very different creatures and don’t always get along; yet Millie, Hutch, and King share their home in harmony.
I thought how the church should be like this: different people from different backgrounds enjoying harmony together. The church was originally composed of only Jewish believers, and there was some resistance to non-Jewish Christians joining the family. But God’s plan has always been to bless every tribe and nation with the Good News that Jesus came with salvation for all who would believe (Revelation 14:6-7; Romans 1:16).
It’s not just that we’re saved from judgment and promised a heavenly home; God also intends to unite us in Christ. Being a Christian is a team event. Jesus’ cross broke down the walls that divide us so we could literally be one big, happy family, worshiping our Lord together (Ephesians 2:12-22). Thanks, Garlyn Zoo, for this furry reminder.
