January 9, 2023
THE MOST DANGEROUS ANIMAL IN THE WORLD
“You are looking at the most dangerous animal in the world. It alone, of all the animals that ever lived, can exterminate (and has) entire species of animals. Now it has the power to wipe out all life on earth.”
~ Bronx Zoo 1963
There was a time when you visited the Bronx Zoo; you could see this famous exhibit if you visited the Great Ape House. It was replicated in Brookfield Zoo and the Chicago Zoo.[1] It’s unclear if any of these exhibits are still on display, but the message it conveys should make every human being stop and think.
The display was set up with the words: “The most dangerous animal in the world” printed in red on top of a cage.[2] Behind the bars of the cell, there was a mirror. The exhibit allowed the human visitors to peer into the cage and see their reflection — marking them as “most dangerous.”
A zoo keeper was once asked, “what is people’s reaction to the display,” they responded, “They take it the way we want them to. It gets them to stop and think.”
Take a moment and imagine yourself standing in front of this mirror and reading the words “The most dangerous animal in the world” as you stare at your reflection; how does that make you feel?
Is the statement true?
An even better question is this the way God intended it to be?
If you are an atheist, do you think this is the goal of evolution regardless of how creation came into existence?
The Bible makes it clear the stewardship of the earth is the responsibility of humankind:
Genesis 1:26-28 (The Message)
26-28 God spoke: “Let us make human beings in our image; make them
reflecting our nature
So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea,
the birds in the air, the cattle,
And, yes, Earth itself,
and every animal that moves on the face of Earth.”
God created human beings;
he created them godlike,
Reflecting God’s nature.
He created them male and female.
God blessed them:
“Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge!
Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air,
for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth.”
There are currently 8 billion people on planet earth.[3] Many scholars claim the world can only support 9-10 billion people.[4] What happens when there is not enough food and natural resources to go around? Americans constitute 5% of the world’s population but consume 24% of the world’s resources.[5] When everything dries up, and resources become scarce, survival of the fitness mentality will kick in, and a global war will ensue. Remember the battle of scarcity for toilet paper and paper towels during the COVID-19 pandemic? Just imagine the battle for food, clean water, and energy!
What if humans were never meant to be industrialized and evolve into the technology age?
Why are humans driven by individualism, materialism, capitalism, and consumerism?
The mirror may very well be right; humans are the most dangerous creature on the planet. What can we do about it? More importantly, what can you do about it?
If God gave humankind a grade for their stewardship, would it be a passing grade?
With the time you have left on earth, what can you do to steward better what God has created and put in humankind’s care, custody, and control? Recycle? Go Green? Not be so wasteful? Live within your means?
Every human should take these questions seriously, but most will not; why? Maybe, just maybe, it’s because “humans are the most dangerous animal on the planet.”
Are you the most dangerous animal on the planet?
God of all creation, please forgive us for misusing the dominion you placed in our care, custody, and control. Save us from ourselves and our little plans, designs, and schemes to live beyond our means. Help the world’s leaders to lead us Your way. Inspire humankind to serve the earth so that justice, righteousness, and shalom prevail for all creation, humans and other creatures alike. Please grant me the strength to do my part, for I am only one among many, but my contribution goes a long way to help make a difference in how the world turns out. In Your Name and Spirit, we pray these things. Amen.
[1] “Zoo has ‘Startling Exhibit.'” Corpus Christi Times. April 27, 1963. Archived from the original on April 21, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
[2] “In 1963, the Bronx Zoo Had an Exhibit Called ‘The Most Dangerous Animal in the World'”. Rare. Rare Media LLC. July 20, 2020. Archived from the original on April 21, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
[3] https://www.un.org/en/desa/world-population-reach-8-billion-15-november-2022
[4] https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna44860924
[5] https://public.wsu.edu/~mreed/380American%20Consumption.
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