“Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” – Philippians 2:4
On Monday, a 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck San Diego County, knocking boulders onto county roads and overturning groceries from store shelves. What made national news was not the earthquake itself but rather the reaction of a herd of elephants at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. As the ground shook and startled the animals, the three older elephants scrambled to encircle and protect the two 7-year-old calves. Even after the rumbling subsided, the older pachyderms—with their unique ability to detect sounds through their feet—stood watch with their ears spread and flapping. Mindy Albright, a curator of mammals at the park, said that once the elephants form their alert circle, “they sort of freeze as they gather information about where the danger is.”
The instinctive reaction of these senior elephants reminds me of some other “alert circles” I’ve witnessed recently. On the same day as the earthquake, I watched a tiny toddler attempt a dash for freedom at a crowded food pavilion at the Saint Louis Zoo. Her watchful father knew the danger, noticed the attempted escape, and lovingly tracked the child down and corralled her in his arms. Had he not noticed his fleeing child, I—a stranger—would have attempted to rescue her from the menacing pink flamingos eyeballing her.
More seriously, a friend of mine recently tried to pick a member up to attend worship services on Sunday morning, his customary practice. (The week prior, he had found the man unresponsive due to a medical condition and had to call an ambulance.) This time, when a stranger and his two companions answered the door, my friend’s alert level went up. He sensed something wasn’t right. One of the guys, unhappy with my friend’s desire to take the man to church, retrieved a box cutter and threatened my friend’s life. The police were called and the perpetrator was sent back to jail. Since then (and prior to then), several Christians have formed an “alert circle” around our troubled friend to help him physically, spiritually, and emotionally. He is vulnerable—“the least of these” as Jesus calls them—and faces threats all around him.
Why care? Why get involved? As the Apostle Paul puts it, each Christian is called to “look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” In 1 Peter 5:8, Peter reminds us to “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Christians need to regularly circle the wagons around and try to protect those at risk. Sometimes we’re the ones standing guard and other times we ourselves are the vulnerable sheep needing protection.
Closer to home, my wife and I recently relocated to Missouri to be closer to family—specifically a grandson with another on the way. We hope to be a positive influence on their lives. With threats all around, we’ll stand watch and, along with their parents and others, help form their “alert circle” whenever needed. In conjunction with our move, Janet’s elderly parents, who have been under our care for over five years, moved in with Janet’s middle sister and her husband. Although they’ve always been concerned and involved, now they are on the frontlines—the first line of protection and defense. As the inevitable physical and mental decline of these dear Senior Saints unfolds, Janet’s sister and her husband will offer care and protection.
Parents and grandparents, alert to danger, form protective barriers around their children and grandchildren. Teachers do the same for their students. Church elders (shepherds) do this for the sheep who make up their congregations, and caregivers do so for those under their care. In each case, we see concerned people standing guard, like those senior elephants, ready to mobilize to protect the ones they love.
The elephants’ actions during the earthquake teach us another lesson. Although the video shows the female calf running for refuge between the adults who raised her, the only male calf remains on the outer edge of the circle. The curator said he was attempting to show his courage and independence. The older female elephant who helped raise him repeatedly taps him on the back and face with her trunk, coaxing him to remain in the herd’s alert circle. Sometimes our protective nurturing of those we love may require more than a gentle nudge.
In whatever protective roles God has called us to serve, may we faithfully stand watch—ears “spread and flapping”—with those we are charged to protect close at hand.
