Challenger the Eagle...

I took Jay and Megan to the University of Tennessee football game the other day. It was their first such experience in America and my first time in several years, and we all enjoyed it. I compared the stadium with all the orange clad people to Jeju Island in Korea. Jeju is where they have the Mandarin orange groves. We watched the marching band, and I explained the game as it was played.Before the game, we stood for the singing of the National Anthem, and witnessed the flight of Challenger the American Bald Eagle. Challenger is an eagle that was found when he was very young and raised by humans. He has remained with them and now does these flight demonstrations at events all over the country.

We saw the handler with Challenger in the upper deck near us, while the other handler stood down on the opposite end of the field. When he was released, Challenger soared and swooped up over the stadium. The crowd roared with excitement as Challenger circled the field. He glided half a dozen loops, seemingly teasing the crowd and the handlers. Several times, he swooped down as if to land, only to climb again at the last second. Having never seen it in person, I wondered if he was going to fly away. But just when the thought entered my mind, the majestic bird flew down and down and landed on the gloved hand of the handler. As I looked at the huge screen, I saw the closeup of Challenger as he received a treat from his friend.Days later, I was still thinking about Challenger. I was deeply impressed and awed by what I saw. And my thoughts included a question... Why did he land? As he flew against the dark night sky, I realized something. He was free. He had no tether... no chain... nothing to hold him down... yet his first instinct was to search for his friends. He found them, and after performing his task, he went straight to them. Was it for the treat? Perhaps that was partly the reason, but I tend to think he knows there are plenty of treats out there.

As I pondered this, God gave me the answer. It is not a reward that makes him land. It is not obedience or even training. It is a relationship. Challenger knows these people better than he knows anything else in the world...even other eagles. They saved him and raised him. They provide for him. They love him. And he loves them. He is free to leave whenever he wants, but the love they share compels him to stay. That is why he landed.

That's what God wants for us. He has given us our freedom. We can choose to fly away and never give Him a second glance. Many do just that. However, some have found what He wants for all of us...a relationship. Those of us who follow God, do so not for the reward. It is not even obedience or training. We follow God because of the the relationship we have with Him through Jesus Christ. He loved us enough to save us from our lost condition...to raise us from the pit of sin...to provide for and love us like no other ever could.

Why would I ever want to fly away from Him?