Many small insignificant things, which can seem unimportant yet they, can cause havoc to society in their own way. The story is told of a squirrel which caused unimaginable problems for commuters in New York some years ago. Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-sized rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others, and flying squirrels. They typically have slender bodies with very long very bushy tails and large eyes. In general, their fur is soft and silky, though much thicker in some species than others.
The coat colour of squirrels is highly variable between species ranging from the spectrum of red to grey. They are small animals, ranging in size 10–14 cm in total length and just 12–26 g in weight. However, there is in Bhutan a giant flying squirrel which is up to 1.27 m in total length being one of the largest of the sciuridae family. Although in general they are small insignificant creatures.
So how could something so small cause such havoc! The story states that a squirrel climbed onto the Metro-North railroad power lines near New York city on September 11th 1995. This set off an electrical surge, which weakened an overhead bracket. This in turn caused a wire to dangle towards the tracks. This wire got tangled up in an oncoming train, which tore down all the lines. As a result, 47,000 commuters were struck in Manhattan for hours that evening. Many, I am sure, blamed poor maintenance or faulty machinery. Yet the blame fell squarely on a small insignificant squirrel. Does this not remind you of the description that God uses for a tongue. Scriptures instruct us in James 3 verse 4 ‘even so the tongue is a little member’ yet it can cause havoc. ‘It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.’, the apostle James says. King David said ‘His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity’, Psalm 10:7. The Bible also says that the tongue, though small, is hard to tame but it needs to be tamed. Job pleads with God to ‘Teach me, and I will hold my tongue:’, Job 6:24. Just like the squirrels and other small creatures need to be kept off the railway lines. The tongue needs to be controlled so that it can be a profitable member of the body and bring glory, kindness and peace to all man. The main threat to a red squirrel comes from a grey squirrel, an animal in its same family. The main threat to man is his tongue a member of his own body. The tongue has no bones, but it is strong enough to break a heart. Therefore, the tongue when not used correctly can cause significant damage to those around and even to the persons themselves. However, when used right it can be a source of comfort and enjoyment to all. We should fill our tongue with singing and of praise to God all the day long. It should be used to speak truth and kindness, to share wisdom and proclaim peace and stability in the world.
P. Pilgrim pilgrimway101@yahoo.com
