Are You Holding a Lion???

The zoo. A word which inspires thoughts of joy and excitement in the mind of a child. An expedition of adventure, learning, thrill, and exploration. A place where dreams are birthed, the wild comes to life, and fiction becomes reality.

Over the years, I've visited a wide array of zoological parks around the world with no shortage of experiences to match the expectations. From the grandeur of the San Diego Zoo in California to the beauty and serenity of the zoo in Santa Barbara, to the exotic flair of the Sydney's Koala Park Sanctuary—each had its magic.

In years to follow, I was blessed with experiencing wildlife in more natural settings—from camel-trekking in the Sahara desert, to riding elephants through Asia's jungles,a safari in Southern Senegal, to encountering Great White Sharks face to face off South Africa's coast in the Indian Ocean. In each case, the beauty and power of God's creation was revealed in new ways.

Sometimes, however, the most distinctive memories emerge from the parks less recognized for their orderly and managed facilities, such as the randomness and dilapidation of Dakar's Animal Park (Senegal). From their sale of lion's urine for an assortment of ailments, to the random fugitive monkeys roaming the parks, to the diseased hyenas in inhumane cement cubicles haphazardly inserted throughout the park, its array of experiences proved original and unique in my growing up years.

Despite my past encounters, my recent trip with friends to Cairo's Giza Zoo proved to be truly unique and entertaining in many ways. Aside from from being Egypt's largest zoo (100 acres), it provides a nice escape from Cairo's desert atmosphere with its gardens, parks, and small canals (including a suspension bridge designed by Gustave Eiffel). This zoo prides itself on providing the visitor a special "behind the scenes" experience of wildlife at its best. All that is required is a little "baksheesh" (or "tips") and politesse.

One such memory was the invitation to hold a "baby" African lion. With the promise in hand, we were ushered through a heavy metal door and into the lion's den. A narrow corridor accessed the cages of slightly unhappy, obnoxiously loud roaring lions. Gave a whole new perspective to Daniel's experience! (To read the story, see Daniel 6:1-23.) True to his promise, the zoo keeper brought out the "baby" for us to hold, which he had aforementioned. This "baby" lion was nearly four feet long, had well-developed teeth, and a personality of his own. Nonetheless, the investment of 10LE ($1.82) was not going to waste! Apparently, this cub's name was Medhat, though we never developed much of a relationship.

As I held the lion, my thoughts drifted to what this cub would one day become. That in my hands, I held the "king of beasts." (Proverbs 30:30) A well-deserved title and a vital warning! Though seemingly innocent and beautiful, I held a potentially dangerous creature in my arms which required respect and care.

Yet, how frequently in our lives do we "play" with the seemingly innocent things without regarding their effects? We "hold the lions" of gossip, slander, and anger without considering their effects to be divisive and deadly. We flirt with immorality assuming our will-power strong enough to flee when necessary. How polarized these thoughts are in relationship to Jesus' teachings. "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies... but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man." (Matthew 15:19, 20b) God looks at the heart, and thus, evil must be uprooted from that point. (I Samuel 16:7) Hence, the prophet David prayed after committing adultery, "Create in me a clean heart." (Psalm 51:10) Not simply, "Forgive my sin." The heart is the source of the issue.

Acts of piety mean nothing before God without a transformed heart. Following God is NOT about following a "To Do" & "Not To DO" list. Rather, it's about developing a relationship of knowing His heart and what He desires from us. He didn't make us robots; He gave us a soul to choose to love Him.

Thus, out of love for God, we are to flee the very semblance of evil. In Scripture, leaven (yeast) often represents sin. At the feast of unleavened bread, not only were the observers of the feast to remove leaven from their baking, but in addition, they were to remove ALL leaven from their homes and land! (Exodus 12:19; Deuteronomy 16:4)

In our society today, "to flee" is a sign of weakness, but in God's economy, a test of strength. (To "flee" could be defined as "to run away, as from trouble or danger.") Time and time again, the Word of God commands us to "flee" those things which would destroy our soul. From "sexual immorality" (I Corinthians 6:18), "idols" (similar to addictions—anything that is “worshiped” before God) (I Corinthians 10:14), "the love of money" (I Timothy 6:10) and "youthful lusts" (2 Timothy 2:22), the command remains the same. Flee. NOT because we have a kill-joy God.

Get real. God created sex, worship, a mind to develop business, and the desires of the body. His longing, however, is that we know the path to ultimate joy rather than selling ourselves short through the devil's lies. As we release that which places us in danger, we are freed to live out the purpose of our existence.

So, what lion are you holding?