It was honorable....the old man and the great fish....in a fight to the death. They both had to eat.....it was nothing personal....but either the old man would kill the beautiful fish....or he would die trying....which in essence would mean that the fish would kill the old man. It was life as we know it....oftentimes not pretty....but not necessarily ugly either.
The sharks were another story. The great fish may have....probably would have....escaped them.....but now that it had lost to the old man....the sharks would tear it to shreds. The battle was lost....by both the great fish and the old man. The killing machines did what they do.
Is this not at least slightly similar to the fate of man? Two armies....or two navies....occurring many times over the many centuries....would fight each other....either one fully believing that he was merely protecting his country....and his family. This was never more evident than our own civil war. Oh the stories of honor were enough that we built shrines to them....and hallow their efforts.
It's been sixty years since I had to memorize the Gettysburg Address....but I just did a passable job of reciting it....maybe a C....maybe even a B-?
It's not the day to day skirmishes that we have. That came with the fall. It's the same sharks....the killing machines....the ones who start wars. The ones who want something for themselves beyond food and raiment and warmth.
It's not the lion in God's Word that is evil....for the lion is a noble animal. Lions do what they do....since the fall....it is the devil who....prowls around....like a lion....looking for something to devour. That is what a Hitler did....and a Stalin....and a Putin.....and many more..
Lions prowl at night....usually....because they operate better in the darkness. When we are in the darkness....spiritual darkness.....we are in....plenty danger....and odd description....but maybe one used where the old man fought the great fish?
Most older people do not like to drive at night. I don't like it. We should want to live in the light folks....so when someone comes to us....someone who lives in the darkness....and they say....'come with me....prowl with me....there are plenty of riches to share....whose luminescence can only be seen in the darkness'....we should flee...flee to the light....for...."The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."
John 9:5 ESV
