Wherever there is a fallen body (a corpse), there the vultures (or eagles) will flock together. Matt 24:28 (Amplified)

A songwriter penned these words during the Swing Era in American music: “Into each life some rain must fall, but too much is falling in mine.” It certainly seems that way when we face trying days and long, difficult nights. The loss of a loved one, justice denied-at least for the present.

There are, at times in our lives, a clear and eerie awareness of those who appear in our midst during the times of our greatest weakness. I am not referring to the ones that come to bring comfort or cheer-- no, they are most welcome houseguests. They bring true hope and find ways to refresh our souls. Rather, I speak of the ones who have an uncanny knack of knowing when we are hurting or mortally wounded so that we despair even of life itself. That is when they appear, offering slight comfort, and stout but too short words. They bring no remedy, no cure. Their care seems to be suspect. We feel guilty when we fail to fully embrace them, but the questions they leave us with only compound the difficulties we already have. Why are they coming around now? They never seemed to care so much before! Like the vulture, sad to say but nonetheless true, there are some who seem to sense when we are wounded and come around to find great feasting on our decaying places.

A brief look at the characteristics of vultures might help us here:

They are from the same special family as the hawk and eagle so they carry similarities to their great and stately brothers, but looks can be deceiving can’t they?

They have strong, well-developed beaks designed to tear the hide and eat at the flesh.

Their feeding habits are unusual: they are carrions, so they love decaying, rotted things. They also find great feasting upon such dainties as excrement and garbage! They also love to take advantage of the weak and the feeble creatures reminiscent of the Amalekites of Exodus 17.

They can soar on high for hours using their keen eyesight to spot anything that is dying or languishing.

Perhaps there is no greater living illustration of these despicable beasts than in the garbage dump of Guatemala City. This is like no other sight and is even more burdensome because of the thousands of people that must live there due to their deplorable life circumstances. It is a depressed valley in a prominent Zone of the city and trucks bring the rubbish from all over the city. Throngs flock to meet the incoming vehicles so they can be the first to take something to bring home to the family. As I looked up at the cliff of that foul place, I saw hundreds of vultures waiting and watching for an opportunity to pounce.

Thank God for the promise of Scripture:

“Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26

Jesus is the supreme life-giver. He alone can take our bruised, broken and dying places and give us new hope. Because of Jesus, there is life beyond failure; there is life beyond defeat; there is life beyond depression; there is life beyond our past; there is even life beyond death. So when it looks like all is lost and defeat is inevitable, tell those vultures to look again, for in Christ we liveand move and have our being!

Final thought from the garbage dump: That day as I walked past some of the people and saw two men frying something upon an open bed of coals. What were they cooking? Fried Vulture that is poetic justice!

Thank you Lord for the life that can only be found in following You. It is my prayer that You, in Your great power would give the reader an unusually blessed week. These favors I request in the name that remains above all others, Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.

Copyright 2006. Used by permission BlackandChristian.com