Wolves. We human beings have been taught to fear them. There are the stories of wolf packs hunting and eating children, the story of Peter and the wolf, of course, and the mythical werewolf. Removed from federal protection as an endangered species by the last administration, a federal judge in northern California restored those protections for areas apart from Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming where they are aggressively hunted.
Wolves are important to the ecosystem, keeping the elk and deer population in check. It’s only been with the destruction of their habitat that wolves have looked at sheep as a viable food source. Protecting your sheep is one thing, but the abysmal sight of so-called sports hunters going after wolves by helicopter is something else.
We have destroyed so much of the habitat that sustained not just wolves but many other animals as well. Wolves once lived in the forests of the northeastern United States, but those forests have given way to cities and suburbs. During the height of the pandemic when car sounds were scarce, we did see more wildlife around, but not wolves. They have the sense to stay in wilderness areas.
Prayer for the Day
Searching for truths you would impart to us, O Holy One,
We place our minds and hearts before you today;
Seeking to discern the meaning of your Word for our lives,
We come in humility and gratitude for all you have given us.
Open our minds to your Spirit of understanding of the world,
Enabling us to embrace the magnificence of your creation.
In the name of the One who walks with us,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those have not viewed the world.
- Alexander von Humboldt, German polymath & naturalist (1969-1859)
The majority of threatened and endangered species occur on privately owned lands. Working with these landowners is critical to the recovery of our most vulnerable species.
- Jamie Rappaport, Executive Director, Defenders of Wildlife
For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up;
But it is God who executes judgment, putting down one thing an lifting up another.
Psalm 75: 6-7