Stirring the Ant Hill
Proverbs 30:24-25
“24 There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: 25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;”
I am one of those guys who think that hobbies are needed in order to keep your mental health and be able to perform in a world with several stress factors. One of my hobbies is related to my background in science. This hobby drives me into reading of science related topics. Sometimes that reading turn into something more than a passive thing and it is transformed in a quest.
That was the case with this booklet about ants. Suddenly, this reading turn into a complete investigation about the subject and all of the sudden I found my self working in this sermon. One of the outstanding conclusion of this investigation turn to be that much of the time we are looking forward to the mystic and the esoteric in search of guidance and revelation from God. We proceed into this search just to discover that our Lord has placed several of the must important and relevant at the sole of our shoes.
First of all it has to be said that entomologist has classified more than 8000 species of ants already; pretty close to the quantity of churches that we have in this Island.
And there is more, fragmentation factor between ants groups is so intense, that there are several ants groups that do not allow its members to interact or to have “share socially” even with ants of their same species or class. Any resemblance with churches like some of those we find in the New Testament is just coincidence. Let us take by example the church in Corinth. Paul tells us when he writes his first letter to this church that this congregation could be seen from the outside as a homogenous compact church, but from the inside, fragmentation was one of its toughest ordeal. (1 Cor 1:11-12) Paul states in this letter that there were at least 5 groups fighting to take control of the church. Those from the group of Chloe, a group that seems to be in charge of the church’s “communications”. Those from the group of Cefas, a group identified by Gordon Fee and Bill Witheringthon as a legalist group; a position that identifies those who believe in the Gospel of “what can’t we do.” Another sector identified is the group of Apollo, defined by some scholars as the rational and intellectual sector of the church. There is a fourth sector, the group of “Paul”, probably a group of liberated believers that went too far in their understanding of Grace and started to behave at the edge or outside of the edge of the church’s doctrine standard. The other sector identified is the group of “Christ”. Some scholars consulted have make me conclude that this group may be composed by “ultra holly, spiritual warfare, worship revivalist, charismatic camp-meeting crusaders” that were too holy to share their time and experience with others.
Paul thesis seems to show us that even when we can’t impede this development, we can find ways to make all these groups interact and work together for the glory of the Almighty and His Church blessings.
Today we can find these groups escorted by several others. Between them, I have to point out a sector that I have classified as “revolving door members”; a floating congregation that can’t be at ease in one single place for more than 18-24 months. One of the reasons that have us gather here, is because all of us are facing the effects of this problems and we are compelled to do something about it.
Let us go back to our friends. These tiny insects have two ways of communication. The first one is common to all insects and it is through pheromones. The second one it is through a derivative of formaldehyde. This substance creates an electromagnetic force and the ants use their antennas to pave and follow the way. That’s the way to explain why ants like to walk on “Indians columns”, one after the other; a way has been established and they are following it. I know that some of us have played with them, trying to erase this path with our fingers or even with a piece of chalk; just to find that after a couple of minutes, ants had found a way to return to their path. It is very curious, but when they were studied, specialist found that ants that get lost, just turn up their antennas to the sun, and using a phenomena called “menotaxis”, they are able to find their way home.
I do not think that we need a big explanation for this. A way have been given to us and we are required to followed it like brethren in Christ Jesus. We have also been blessed with several ways of communication. And even if we feel that we are lost, we can reclaim a Scriptural promise and we can lift up our eyes unto the hills, not to find this help unto the hills, but understanding that our help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. We also find there that our foot will not suffer and shall not be moved:
“he that keepeth thee will not slumber. 4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.” Psalm 121:3
What happen when ants have to suffer these “shenanigans” pretty close to dawn? Several species analyzed showed the same result. Ant can wait until the next morning, wait to see the sun rising in the skies and then start to perform their “ceremonies” to find their way home. It is not amazing seeing that even ants know that after every single dark and somber night the sun will rise and there will be another morning? Then, why is this so difficult for us to understand? Our lives may be full of sorrows and despair, and it may look know that darkness will last forever. Let us wait patiently to the Lord. He has listen to our pray and there will be another morning to see His glory and find direction from His hand.
A very interesting detail found it that when ants lose their antennas, not only had destroy their possibilities to find their way home, and to communicate with each other. They also suffer a kind of cannibalism; they start to eat each other. Any resemblance with us human beings, is just a “coincidence. Isn’t it?
Going a little bit farther in this investigation, I found several books and articles dedicated to the ants’ strength. It has been demonstrated that ants are capable to lift up from 10 to 50 times their weight. To understand the meaning of this, I may say that if someone like me was capable of such force, He or she will be able to lift between 1 to 5 ton. But it is very interesting that ants do not abuse this power. As I am writing these sentences, a cricket has “passed away” in my office. One ant that was passing by this poor subject took notice of this incident and tried to pull it by “itself”. He or she was very good in the first efforts. All of the sudden, this ant disappear just to appear several minutes later with a small army of community helpers. Entomologists say that this process started with this little friend going to the ant hill and “downloading” all this technical data with specifications of how many “community members” are required for dissection, how many for transportation and relay, and how many are required for storage and safety. Ah! And those that refuse to work are not allowed to eat. Any resemblance with Pauline thoughts? (2 Thes 3;10)
A very interesting point in the analysis of these tiny friends is that almost all of their species are waterproof. This is that each time that we try to eliminate an anthill using a water hose, we will be losing our time. The only ants that will perish during that “human attack” will be those that open their mouths. Yes, you heard me well; if they mange to keep their mouth shut, ants will survive that “human made storm”. Do I need to give a further explanation? It is obvious that many of our personal problems as family members, as husband and wives or even as brothers and sisters, come from our incapacity to keep quiet when it is necessary to do so. But there are no significant differences from the professional and clerical perspective. Some of us have stranded in the process of learning the correct time to speak and the proper time to keep quiet.
But the must outstanding and relevant “testimony” provided by the ants is the one that made the proverb’s writer to give us the Scriptural passage that we read at the beginning of this sermon. Ants that are born and grow in template countries developed a very interesting capacity, worthy to be explained with some details. How many of you have seen ants taking tiny pieces of leaves or grasses into the anthill? Good. Do you know that ants do not eat grass or leaves? Then, what is their purpose with those tiny pieces? If we would able to see a transversal cut of an anthill developed on template countries, we will be amazed seeing that almost in the middle of it we will find a kind of stable. Yes, a kind of compartmentalization of that sector, made by the ants to take care of a herd of aphids; a chamber for small beetles that eat fungus from the leaves and grasses. Ants like to bring these tiny pieces to the anthill, and them, some special ants extract from their mouths a substance called mycelium; an accelerator for the decomposition process. The fungus them are developed and the aphids are fed. After this feeding process, these beetles are capable of exuding glucose; sugar. This is made possible when they receive a massage from “long legs” ants that are always available in the anthill. Ants do not eat this glucose. They take each drop of glucose to another chamber. In this place we will find a very special class of ants; they look like small barrel. Several species (especially honeydew ants) have this barrel ”look a like” ants prepared to eat this glucose. Several specialists in the field have stated that for every drop of glucose that they consume, they are capable of the metabolization of 5 to 10 drops. One morning, ants will be ready to “hit the road” of the outside world for their usual work program, just to find that the “gates” of the anthill are frozen and locked. How are they managing the anthill to survive without been able to go outside? Simple, they go to this “barrel ants”. For now on they will be fed by these fat friends. Day and night the process will be repeated until exhaustion of our tiny fat friends. That morning, ants will try again to go forward to the outside world, finding almost always that winter has finished and that springtime has arrived.
Do you know that it has never be seen a “barrel ant” running for queen of the colony? These friends are anonymous helpers, that know their job and perform with excellence for the sake of the anthill. These are community’s member that are looking forward for the peace and the future of the community and prepare themselves in advance for the times of sorrow and necessity. Can you catch the feeling? Ants have already caught it.
Our communities needs men and women capable of this behavior. An special kind of priests and pastors, professionals of service, medical doctors, psychologists social workers and interested lay peoples. Special people willing to serve as agents of transformation; capable of dealing with our social, familiar and religious fragmentation. Special people at the service of people that need help with their communication processes, with their incapacity to lift their eyes to our Lord and to their friends. Special people capable of intercede on those processes were cannibalisms is on the way. Psychological, economical, political and religious cannibalism. Special people, yes special people capable of the teaching and distribution of working responsibilities. Especially within those dysfunctional products of dysfunctional families. Special people capable to understand when to speak and when to observe silence. Special people that could be willing to feed those that are hungry of real food, of justice, of mercy of works of love; people that are hungry because they are facing the winters of life.
Sometimes I wondered If the Almighty will send angels for this task. After studying my little friends, I have concluded that If He is able to teach them, ants without a brain, He can teach me and teach you as well.
You know, when I was a little boy my mother taught us to sing a song that was written by Civilla Martin. Although many hymn books says that it was C. Gabriel who wrote this song, a deep historical investigation shows that Miss Martin was visiting a very close friend that was dying. This lady astonished Miss Martin, because of his radiant eyes and words of assurance in the middle of a painful sickness. Miss Martin could not wait anymore and ask her a question. How can you be able to have that radiant look in your eyes and those inspirational words in your mouth. The sick lady trying to raise her body from her bed, show Miss Martin an outstanding scene that was developing outside of the bedroom’s windows; some sparrows were playing and singing on the branches of and old Oak tree. While watching the birds, that sick lady gave Miss Martin a smile and said:
“If He is able to watch over the, He will be able to watch on me.”
Miss Martin was not able to wait any longer. With tears she started to write a poem and a song:
“Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come
why should my heart be lonely, and long for Heav’n and home.
When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He:
//His eyes is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;//
I sing because I am happy, I sing because I’m free
//His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me.//
My beloved brethren, Our Lord is able to take care of his mighty creation. That is something unquestionable. But you know something? He never went to the Cross for a sparrow or for an ant. He went there by His love for You and Me. If He is able to watch over the sparrows, If He has His eyes on the ants, He is also able to watch and take care of you and me.
Let us pray.
