1 Kings 7:36
The Voice (VOICE)
36 Hiram carved winged
creatures, lions, and palm trees onto the braces wherever he found space, and
he surrounded them with garlands.
Dad and Mom drove up from Zambia to visit us at Ikizu in
Tanzania in their VW Microbus. We spent a couple days driving around the Serengeti
National Park. We encountered lions frequently around Seronera, and often,
especially in the early mornings, we could spot a pride of 10 or 15 lions
clustered around a kill they had made during the night hours. Later in the day
we would find them under the shade of a great tree lying down, their bellies fat
from eating.
One afternoon we came upon a pair of lions lying lazily in
the shade. It became obvious that the lion was interested in the lioness in a much
more romantic way than merely as a partner during the hunt. As we watched, he
tried to mount her, but she got up and moved a short distance away. He followed
after her, eagerly smelling her pheromones. Again when he tried to mount her,
she moved away.
When I was a child, Dad and Mom always appeared to be
asexual. One time when I was quite young I asked Mom why she wore an
undergarment with lots of lace and then put on other clothes to cover it up and
no one could see it. She looked at me and responded simply, “Your father likes
to see me in it.” I never gave it much thought after that.
Mom was very interested in the lion pair. When the lioness
finally allowed the lion to mount her, Mom exclaimed in a hushed voice full of
awe, “Isn’t this beautiful and special?” She continued to watch spellbound, as
did we all. For Sylvia and me, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, although
we spent many happy days amongst the animals in the Serengeti.
The Bible often represents God as a lion. We felt privileged
to witness lions in a loving, tender moment as well as in their proverbial swiftness
and might.
Thank You, God, that You
are loving and tender towards us as well as defending us with Your unmatched power.
Have you seen a film called 'The Lion King' ? You better do. Another film called 'The Savage Harvest' is also worth your view for the more understanding of Serengeti and its ecosystems. This one is based on a true story that occurred around 189, when a disease, RINDERPEST, almost decimated all herbivores in East Africa. I Know you have been to Serengeti a hundred times. These films will facilitate a more understanding over lions in Serengeti ecosystems.
ReplyDeleteYes, I have seen the Lion King. It's a delightful film. I haven't seen the Savage Harvest and I don't see where it is available. But we learned to love and respect the Serengeti while we were at Ikizu. I know that farmers fear a recurrence of rinderpest. I hadn't realized that it spread to wild ungulates as well.
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