It was barely dawn in the forest the birds were breaking
into song, the first rays of sunlight were hitting the forest floor which
appeared to be moving as the Chico clan of ants were on the move again. it was
the time of their cycle when the ants moved to the other side of the forest and
their paths crossed different parts of the forest.
The mothers told the
children of the various scenes they would pass as they went across the forest
and the older ants recalled tales of wars with other clans and the young males
looked forward to the nuptials when the young females took to flight and the
joined them in a celebration of young love and the older men remembered and
looked forward to the great anthill’s of their ancestors. The women folk knew
their holidays were just ahead for the ancient anthills offered huge
underground stores of food and their job would comprise laying the eggs that
would ensure the perpetuity of their race and being waited on by the worker class.
The young-uns to whom every sight was a new experience watched with surprise
and wanted to stop and stare but kept being urged on by the elders behind them
as well as their mothers. The pace set by the soldier clan was ferocious and unyielding
once the army of ants were on the move there was no force in nature that could
stop them, birds whose nests were unfortunately in their path were devoured by
the unrelenting red tide torn to pieces by the soldiers and carried by the
worker clan. There was no animosity it was just nature taking its course on the
forest floor.
Above the ground, the new road was on schedule, the crews
had worked night and day now a new single lane road cut through the forest and
provided a shorter route to families that traveled across the country. In this
forest also lived a family of ant watchers a man and his son who every year
watched the migration of the ants unfailingly. But as they went along the route
they saw the migration had started earlier than usual but they were aghast at
the discovery that the road which ran through the forest ran right across the
path of the ant migration.
The ants being ants did not know to stop or look for an
alternate route and they were being crushed by the hundreds as they attempted
to dash across the road. No matter how fast or strong they were no match for
the huge tires that ran over them the elders had no answers for this new threat
usually their doggedness and sheer numbers was sufficient to overcome any foe
even the occasional fire. they were totally unprepared for this new threat but
as creatures of instinct they kept on pouring their numbers into the roads,
mothers wailed as infants were crushed and fathers mourned the loss of entire
families and were soon promptly crushed themselves the entire army was being
decimated in a matter of seconds, but the hordes behind were unaware of the
carnage up ahead and poured on to face the same seemingly inevitable fate.
It was to this scene of utter horror and despondency that
the ant watcher and his son came and the boy promptly saw that there was a
tunnel under the road that the ants could take and avoid the tires that were
wreaking such havoc. They decided to stand by the road and scream at the ants
but, the ants couldn't hear them, the boy built barriers but the ants promptly
climbed over them he put signs but they couldn't read in frustration he tried
so many other options all to no avail he cried, howled and threw himself on the
floor his beloved ants were marching into a sure death and he couldn't do a thing
to save or help them.
Then, out of the blue the thought came to him; the ants can’t
understand me because I’m not an ant and I don’t speak ant-tongue but if I can
become an ant, I can speak with them in a language they will understand and
promptly he decided that he would become an ant. He explained his decision
to become an ant to his father who immediately sat him down and explained to
him that this was no easy choice; it would alter his life in a way that he
could barely comprehend, he would eat ant food, sleep in ant nests, move with
the army of ants, walk about naked be vulnerable like the ants, face the likelihood
that he’d be picked off by an anteater and probably die like and ant. All the
perks that came with being human would be lost; the warm house, tea, school, friends
and adventure were all he would be giving up. Faced with this choice he wept
sorely but by dawn his resolve was clear.
Not too long after the workers hatched an egg and a young
boy was born as an ant only this ant knew what lay ahead of the army of ants
and even more he knew how to get across the road without loss of life. Would other
ants believe that he was not just an ordinary ant like them? Those ants that
were hatched with him were the most skeptical of his “claims” how can an ant
like you know that there is death ahead of us the other ants asked? We know
your mother and your brothers… a few of the ants followed him along the new way
no knowing what was ahead but trusting in his sure steps. What do we have to lose
any way they reasoned as they went with him.
Today as the world over celebrates Christmas many will
caught-up in the festivities, the eating and the drinking and the partying
forget that the son of God left heaven to become an ant like us. Will we
believe in the new way or will we allow logic skepticism and the need for empirical
evidence cloud our ability to accept the humbling truth that over 2000 years
ago God cast aside his God-hood to become a man like us? The bible says; “…for
unto us a child is born and unto us a son is given…” let us remember the
greatest expression of love was made when God became man. Let’s not forget this
in the fun of Christmas.
Merry Christmas to you and yours. The king is indeed born.
have fun.
