J. Davy Crockett III

You have probably seen an emotional appeal while watching your favorite television program or the news. A voice filled with concern narrates an unsettling story of suffering and privation, as a shivering little dog turns its forlorn face to the camera. The narration continues cycling through images of other neglected animals, giving details of abandoned dogs and cats desperately needing shelter, food, veterinary care, and adoption by caring owners.

Times change and one generation’s meaningful metaphors are lost on the next. In an urban age of dizzying technological advances, Internet access, and an endless array of devices, earthy agricultural references lose their impact. This is lamentable since life lessons are prominently symbolized by agrarian practices in the Bible. Many colorful expressions and illustrations picture prosperity on one hand and deprivation on the other, offering spiritual lessons to be learned from each.

Whether it be in the form of winter storms, epidemics, or other natural or man-made disasters, the threat of imminent danger on the horizon seems to trigger an urgent need for bread. I’m sure you’ve seen it. Within days or even minutes of a terrifying prediction, supermarket and convenience store shelves are emptied. Jokes are made about it and fun is poked at those who react this way. It shows the insecurity that people feel as a threat approaches.

Have you observed angry, demanding people with grievances—whether real or imagined—or special interests seeking redress with threats of disruption or violence to achieve their ends? It is an ancient practice that will not end well for them. In several places, the Bible calls such individuals “fools.” For example, “It is honorable for a man to stop striving, since any fool can start a quarrel” (Proverbs 20:3).