Human Separation

When we look at human similarities, we see the differences.

When we look at human differences we see the similarities.

I went to the DC National Zoo this past week with my granddaughter. It was exciting for me since I hadn't been there in a decade or so. I used to take my kids there all the time when they were young. My excitement was to see the great apes. In the past I went as a Christian and saw these as lower forms of life, only to be dominated. Now I was going there without being befuddled by believing that in all the universe this speck of dust called Earth was God's primary focus and humans were is only concern and all His attention was on me and my body fluids. Now I went to see the similarities of all apes, of which I am but one branch from our common ancestor. I had the fortune of going when there was a nursing Gorilla. I watched the similarities as she cared for her young one, just like we humans do. I sat there watching her as she sat there with her young one right next to her watching us. It was both beautiful and sad. I wished we humans would be open to all life and not just the one within the WALLS of our home and malls with all more and more stuff to accumulate to fill an empty hole. What is more grand than nature itself. I live in the country and just love to sit outside on a nice sunny day and watch the show. There was another gorilla who had his back to the glass and I could see his body and bone structure and marvel at how similar it was to my own. Head, ears, arms, elbows, legs, knees, spinal chord, hands, flat fingernails, thumbs; and also curiosity, excitement, playfulness, sadness, boredom. I wondered how humans were so self-centered that they thought we were so different. How did they conceived that we were so much better. How brilliant Darwin was to not look at the differences but saw the similarities tying them together in such a wonderful way. Seeing things as they are. Living in life, not separate from it.

Genesis 1:26

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

It was a very satisfying trip. I want to be back there now and just observe.