Devotional | Are you an Ostrich or an Emu?

On the way to our camp in the Australian bush, we travel past a field that is home to a mob of emus. These birds are almost the largest in the world, second only to the African ostrich.

There are many similarities between these two flightless birds. Both are massive animals—six to nine feet tall. Both run extremely fast—around 40 mph for the ostrich, and 30 mph for the emu. Both are very good parents, with the female laying the eggs and the males contributing to the incubation. Emu dads also take on the parenting of the young once they are hatched.

But there are some significant differences in our perceptions of these birds.
‘Stick your head in the sand like an ostrich.’
Surely you have heard this saying, used to depict a person incapable of facing a difficult situation. But it’s a bad rap. Ostriches don’t stick their heads in the sand. The misrepresentation is thought to have come from when animal behaviourists first studied these birds. From a distance, it appeared they were pushing their heads into the sand to hide from danger, when in fact they were just crouching.

Nevertheless, the coward’s image stuck, and this ostrich saying is still widely used today. You may have even used the term to label a complacent person or refer to a coward’s actions. I know I’ve used it. And I know I don’t want to be accused of ‘sticking my head in the sand’ about any matter of righteousness.

Ignorant judges! Head-in-the-sand judges! They haven’t a clue to what’s going on. And now everything’s falling apart, the world’s coming unglued. Psalm 82:5 (MSG)

Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but my people have become heartless like ostriches in the desert. Lamentations 4:3 (NIV)

The emu has a different reputation.

Emus enjoy warrior status here in their native country, Australia. You probably haven’t heard of the Great Emu War. It took place in 1932, when farmers and graziers in Western Australia reported a massive invasion of the animal onto prime land. The larrikin emus were taking over, making a nuisance of themselves. The nation declared war and set out on a shock-and-awe cull.

The army moved in. Weaponry might was applied. Casualties were inflicted.
And the victor? The emus!

No matter how much force was used, the emus kept coming and coming and coming. Like wave after wave of battle-hardened soldiers, these birds refused to give in or go away. It was more than a little embarrassing for both the Australian authorities and the soldiers involved, many of whom had bravely and successfully faced real battles in times of war.

We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NIV)

No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. Romans 8:37 (NLT)
In many ways, we Aussies are quite proud of the emu’s win. After all, this unlikely creature appears on our Australian Coat of Arms. This symbol was designed and implemented to represent Australia at Federation (the birth of our nation) in 1901, and features a shield held by a kangaroo to the left and an emu to the right. The kangaroo is an understandable choice. Who doesn’t associate the Land Down Under with the kangaroo! But the emu? Not the obvious recipient of such an honour.

The reason both these animals were chosen is because neither animal is able to go backwards. That’s right—the kangaroo can only hop forwards, and the emu is unable to either walk or run backwards. Unlike its African cousin, the ostrich, our emu is strictly a forward-moving bird. Perhaps this is why they made such formidable warriors.

The founding fathers of our nation knew that if Australians were going to overcome the challenges of our geographical distance, the tests of unity, and the endurance of living in one of the harshest lands in the world, we would have to apply the go-forward nature of the native emu. We’d have to strive forward towards our future, never looking back.

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. Philippians 3:13 (NIV)

So, dear reader, there is only one question left to ask. Which do you want to be—an ostrich, or an emu? I know what I’d rather apply in my life: the forward motion attitude, the perseverance and overcoming tactics, the honourable reputation of the emu.

If you would like to see more of our emu, check out this clip from an ABC education resources website. You may even want to turn this emu lesson into a Sunday school project or talk.
http://education.abc.net.au/home#!/media/104430/emu-song

Note: This article first seen in Book Fun Magazine.