Who Wants to Be a Pet Owl?

Photo by Tony Hisgett, Fotopedia; Eurasian Eagle Owl

I was born in the Appalachian mountains of eastern Kentucky where the mists linger for long hours in the mountain hollows and sunlight doesn't reach the bottoms until ten o'clock.  Or so I am told. I don't remember any of it. My family followed work to Indiana, and I grew up there.

But the small Indiana town where I grew up was a pocket of transplanted Kentuckians. The land was flat, but mountain culture flourished in the speech, the food (some restaurants have fried bologna sandwiches on the menu) and traditions. And, of course, the feuding.

My ancestors were Scott-Irish immigrants who settled in Eastern Kentucky's Breathitt County, at one time known as "Bloody Breathitt," because of the untamed wild-west-like history of bloodshed. During World War I, Breathitt county gained national prominence for filling its quota of men completely through volunteers. There was no need for a draft. Maybe these young men were just really patriotic. Or maybe children who grew up with blood stains on the schoolroom floor saw "war" as a way of life.

These were a clannish people, fiercely loyal and highly suspicious. They had names with prefixes like "Bad" and labeled their rifles "He Who Kills Many." They were gunned down by revenuers, buried under coal mine explosions, shot for budging in the commodity line, and survived prison escape attempts with bullets lodged in their brains until old age. They rarely cried, always prepared for the worst, and made the most of what they had.

Published by the University Press of
Kentucky; Kentuckypress.com

They were stubborn, tough as nails, and prideful. Those characteristics led to a great deal of small offenses that turned into all-out feuds. Those feuds simmered down in recent years, but old animosities die hard, and there are still sometimes clan-related scuffles down at the local bar on a Friday night.

The men of two large clans in my hometown still have a longstanding ritual when they meet at the tavern. One will ask the other: "Are you a pet owl or a watch-a-me-die?" There is only one acceptable response. As any proud highlander will tell you, it is much better to be a "watch-a-me-die," someone who never gives up, even to the point of death, than a "pet owl," a wild thing that has been tamed and caged.

The Persistant Life

Thinking about this, I was reminded of one man in the Bible who was a "watch-a-me-die." Paul willingly poured out his life as an offering to show the world faith at work. Though he was beaten, imprisoned, starved and shipwrecked, he took a bold stand to demonstrate the inestimable value of Jesus. He was not willing to die to revenge some generations old family offense. He was willing to die to bring glory to his Lord, the one who deserves all things. Because of his unshakable faith in the reality and goodness of God, he "set his face like flint" and withstood present-day trials.

"We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies." 
2 Corinthians 4: 8-10

Recently, news report say 80 people were publicly executed in North Korea. Some were charged with possessing western films (pornography) and prostitution. Others were killed for owning a Bible. They were taken in small groups to seven different cities, where residents were forced to watch the executions as a public statement of the government's total control over all aspects of life.  Those Christians who died publicly for their faith were "watch-a-me-dies" for Jesus. Their story was shared around the world.

This story is all too familiar around the world today.  Christians die every day because they refuse to deny faith in Jesus. A day may come when sharing the gospel will require us to make the same choice-- to be a pet owl, caged, wings clipped, on a tether; or ready to follow despite the consequences.

Paul encourages us: "Don't be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ, but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle together...." Phillipians 1:28-30