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The
Lightstand Magazine
1984
• November • Relections on the Way
by Bro. Robin Lamplough
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I
saw a cartoon once, entitled "The Sounds of Summer",
in which the central figure was an angry householder beside
his garden shed, trying to start a motor mower. In our part
of the world the birdcalls particularly show that summer is
here. The raucous warning of the hadeda ibis and the rhythmic
duet of the black-collared barbet are always with us. So is
the exhortation of the gentle turtle-dove to "Thank God
for everything". Down in the valley, although not on
our hilltop, one can hear his Cape cousin urging one to "Work
harder!"
But with the summer come the cuckoos. Sometimes the three
insistent notes of the piet-my-vrou's ringing call begin with
first light and go on through the day to sunset. Not so forceful,
nor so regularly heard, is the diederick cuckoo with his "dee-dee-dee-deederik".
In the heat of the day comes the loud, repetitive, monotonous
"kok-kok-koko" of the purple-crested loerie. And,
always away in the distance, the mournful "du-du-du-dududududu"
of Burchell's coucal, whose call is believed by many to be
a sure sign of rain.
WONDERFUL VARIETY How wonderful a thing it is that
God should have provided this incredible variety of sound
to gladden the heart and soothe the mind. How does an atheist
account for the beauty of the natural world? There is no scientific
reason why the calls of birds should be attractive to the
human ear, any more than there is that their plumage should
be pleasing to the eye, or that the greenness of summer foliage
should bring delight.
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Our
Master spoke on several occasions about the signs in nature. He
criticized the Pharisees and Sadducees, asking for a sign from heaven,
because they could read the sky and yet ignored the signs of the
times. (Matt. 16. 3.) Towards the end of His ministry He drew the
attention of His disciples to the fig-tree as a sign of the approaching
summer (Matt. 24. 32) What would He say to us? Would it be "O
fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken."?
(Luke 24. 25) Or perhaps, "many prophets and righteous men
have desired to see these things which ye see, and have not seen
them."? (Matt. 13. 17)
SIGNS FOR US There are many signs in the world around us
that the things of which the Bible speaks are rapidly drawing to
their culmination. Have we become blind to them, or deaf? It is
very easy for this to happen. Modern communications have contributed
to what has been called an "information explosion". Today's
primary school children take for granted things their great-grandfathers
never knew. Newspapers, radio, television and periodicals bombard
us with new material. Every post brings volumes of duplicated matter.
And in this proliferation there lies for the disciple a very great
danger, because his mind can become so benumbed under this assault
that he forgets or loses sight of the essentials.
How important then that we should remember at all times to "seek
first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" (Matt. 6.33)
Only in this way will we keep our priorities right. And only if
we keep our priorities right will we be able rightly to discern
the signs of the times. "Watch ye, therefore, for ye know not
what hour your Lord doth come."(Matt. 24. 42)
R.L.
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