Lifecycle of a salmon: Live to die to give life to many
My family took me to a salmon hatchery on the weekend. During my stay in America I've had the pleasure of eating much salmon, but to see them in this light is something else altogether. In the wild, by themselves, only a few salmon will survive (about 2%), that's why hatcheries were created to facilitate the process.We aren't the only ones that enjoy the taste of salmon, bears and other predators don't mind the taste either. But also the life cycle of the salmon is a cruel one. They are born in fresh water and when they mature, they move out to salt water. Just when they are ready to give birth they swim back upstream - where them come from to give birth. But this is a harsh journey jumping up boulders (i've seen a few miss, hit a rock and float back downstream dead). And once they are in the freshwater zone, they can no longer survive and they die. They sacrifice their lives so that many can live and to continue life.
I stood there dumbfounded. Yes, I obviously didn't pay attention during biology class at school, but how can God be so cruel to create animals that would have to die in order for their young to live? How can such a heart breaking story but their destiny? And here I was being all upset, for animals.
Then I realised. God did one better. He sent his very own son, his own flesh and blood down here to Earth to bear our sins on the cross. So that we can once again be made right with God. The one act of sacrifice in exchange for many many many lives.
And yes, once we have gained this new life, the natural response is to lay our lives down for our brothers.
