Title:- Of Chickens and Contact Lenses and The Big Story
Exodus 12:23,24 For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you.
Our world of high consumption leads to bizarre efforts in production. At the end of the twentieth century, the humble chicken outnumbered humans by 4:1. Mass production of these birds leads to natural pecking orders applied in the most unnatural of conditions. For example, put 100 birds in a pen and pretty soon you would see the No.1 hen able to peck any of the other birds whilst they cannot peck back! The No.2 hen could then peck any bird except No.1 and so on, until those at the bottom of the pecking order, are in danger of being pecked to death! You see, the problem with chickens is once they see blood, they become very aggressive. In such terrible factory production conditions there is a lot of blood, death and loss of profits and consequently there is the need for a lot of calming. The last thing a producer needs are angry chickens!
The use of ‘red light’ has a calming effect on the fowl. You see, in red light conditions, chickens cannot see the blood and so they are less aggressive. In addition to this, red light conditions also induce them to eat far less whilst producing the same quantity of eggs! Red light is good light if you are in chicken production, except of course for the additional electricity cost. Indeed, to save on electricity costs, one company actually makes red tinted contact lenses for chickens but that’s another story, for another day!
It has been my observation that chickens of every kind, when seeing blood, move in for the kill. Fallen man especially has a very nasty way of pick, pick, picking on the weakest amongst us. Go into any school playground full of youngsters and see the terrible sight played out consistently day after day. Only the strong survive!
When it comes to ‘seeing red’ there are two things of note for the Christian.
First, weakness in others should call forth mercy to our minds and love to our lips and limbs. Compassionate and selfless care should be the marks of the ‘Christ-like’ disciple. I wonder if compassion is caught rather than taught, seen rather than heard, modelled rather than made? Teachers, mentors and ministers, all please take note. Model mercy.
Secondly, that when it comes to ‘seeing red’, this is exactly what we want God to see! One of the things that struck me concerning Mel Gibson’s movie, ‘The Passion of The Christ’ was the predominance of the colour red. Red, seemed to fill the screen. Red blood was everywhere, for friends, redemption is RED! “Yes! Please great God, see the red of your Son upon me today.”Our life is but a part, an important part for sure, but never the less, a small, small part, of a big chapter, in a giant book, on the longest shelf, in the very largest of libraries. This giant book of HIStory is so large, that space and time cannot accommodate it. This book is not our book and despite our egotistical fantasies, played out in every space movie ever made, man is not the centre of this big, big book. We are in His story, and His story board, placed into this cosmic epic the absolute necessity of shed blood. Are you seeing the big picture? Are you seeing the blood? Are you seeing His story, or looking at the world through coloured lenses of someone else's making? If so, you need to just get off the chicken farm friends. Get off the chicken farm I say!
A great man in another place wrote that in the stillness and the darkness before time dawned, the plot and the promise clearly stated that “When a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor's stead, death itself would start working backward.” In HIS STORY, God must see the blood you see. God must see RED! So, let me ask you today, are you covered in His blood!
Listen:- The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29
Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Matthew 26:27-29
Pray: - Look Great God at the blood! Look at the rich red blood of Your Son and be satisfied. All I bring, all I bring, is the blood of my Saviour's cross; a fountain filled with blood to flood my sins away. Amen.
There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.
Washed all my sins away, washed all my sins away;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.
Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.
Be saved, to sin no more, be saved, to sin no more;
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.
E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.
And shall be till I die, and shall be till I die;
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.
Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I’ll sing Thy power to save,
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.
Lies silent in the grave, lies silent in the grave;
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.
Lord, I believe Thou hast prepared, unworthy though I be,
For me a blood bought free reward, a golden harp for me!
’Tis strung and tuned for endless years, and formed by power divine,
To sound in God the Father’s ears no other name but Thine.
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