Shark Sushi

Welcome to this week’s Blog from the Red Roof Church of Bulverde, Texas.  I’m the senior pastor, Lee  Harder, wishing you God’s blessings and joy.  I would also like to invite you to visit us this Sunday for worship on our campus or via our church web page at redroofchurch.org  We offer both our worship celebrations on a delayed broadcast by 2:00PM Sunday afternoon and, of course, any time following.  If you are in the area, we worship at 8:30AM and 10:45AM.  There’s always plenty going on along with good  coffee and  accompanying donuts of all sorts.  Whatever draws you, I promise our worship is “Where God’s Word Is Heard” every week.                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
My blog this week is more whimsical than theological.  If you watch TV, you know that for the past two weeks the National Geographic channel has been pushing “Shark Fest” with a host of programming focused on shark information.  It’s kind of their answer to the famous and eagerly watched “Shark Week” on another channel.  Then everyone knows that beginning this Sunday, July 28th, going all week the Discovery channel has its annual “Shark Week.”                                                                              
I mention this because I am amused by the constant barrage of data and hypothesis as to why sharks attack  human beings.  There seems to be almost as many different reasons and attempts at explanation as there are varieties of sharks.  Despite a plethora of possibilities to explain why there are shark attacks on people, they seem to conclude each proposed answer with “they’re not quite sure all the data supports their conclusion.  We need to explore further.”  I’m betting that the programing on Shark Week will come to the same inconclusive possibilities.  Those who aren’t sure represent an army of researchers, scientists, and experts of every walk of life.  They likely spend millions of dollars and utilize a bevy of grants to do their theorizing and speculation.  More power to them.                                                                                                                                                                       
However, I would like to propose a thought.  I am not an expert, a research specialist, or a scientist knowledgeable in a shark brand of ichthyology.  I am a lowly pastor.  Yet, my theory, if believed and accepted as fact, will devastate the scientific world that devotes itself to the study of sharks, researching with painful detail all shark attacks around the world to find an answer to the question  —  WHY?  It could dry up millions of dollars in research grants and funds resulting in untold numbers of brilliant people losing their jobs.  But here goes.                                                                                                                                                                
When one goes into any ocean, gulf or sea you become food.  By going into the water human beings are no longer on the top of the food chain  —  they are food.  Like beef from a steer, pork from a pig or chicken from a chicken is to us human beings, we become part of the menu for sharks upon entering the water right up there with seals, sardines, whales and garbage.  For this reason, I do not swim in seas, oceans or otherwise.  I do not wish to be eaten.                                                                                            
It seems totally illogical to get upset, angry or overwhelmed by a shark attack that severely injures or kills a person in the water.  They chose to be there in their world.  Sharks do not kill, injure or eat people on land.  Well, they do in Sharknado movies, but they are just silly.  And they are not real.  Hold that thought.                                                                                                                          
If you want to swim in the ocean, ski or kayak, surf or snorkel, remember, you are now food.  While the odds are you will go unscathed, having a wonderful time, don’t complain if on that certain day your luck runs out and you find yourself the entrée at the shark’s table.  If one enters their world, you become gluten free food.  Your choice.                                                                            
Bon Appetite!  And those are my thoughts.  God bless.
Pastor Lee