Talking Animals

It has become a Thanksgiving tradition for our family to go the Cleveland Zoo.

I have some mixed emotions when I visit the zoo.

The Cleveland Zoo is pretty amazing. It’s got to be one of the best zoos in the U.S.

I mean…

Any zoo that has a Polar Bear and a Grizzly Bear has got to be one of the best.

Look at that bear!!! I love bears.

But I always feel a little sorry and sad for all these wild animals kept in cages.

I have a deep longing to be friends with these great creatures.

Not all of them, but most of them.

This last time in Cleveland I had a special moment with a beaver.

I can’t remember ever seeing the beaver in action, but this time was different.

I call him Beavis now.

His home is behind glass and as he swam up out of his pond, and walked over to the glass…

I was right there to greet him.

Beavis was looking me right in the eyes with his two-toothed smile.

Two inches away from my hairy smile.

(He probably named me, Butthead.)

He clawed hello to me on the foggy glass, then walked away as other people came to catch a glimpse.

And I named him.

Because we met face to face.

And he is awesome.

It was too up close and personal to even get a picture.

Have you ever thought about why it is that we love the idea of talking animals and being friends with them?

Think of all the movies and shows that involve talking animals.

We want so bad for it to be true.

And I don’t think that desire comes from our fallen nature.

I think it speaks to the way things once were before The Fall.

And the way things will be will be when all of creation is renewed.

But for now…

We and the animals will have to be content.

Knowing that one day the God-Man Lion-Lamb will forever set us free from our cages.