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A Mary T. Hoffman Commentary from All-Creatures.org

 

"Joyful Curmudgeon" An oxymoron?
No! I see all the beauty of God's creation and I'm joyful.  At the same time, I see all the suffering and corruption going on in the world, and feel called to help expose and end it so that we may have true peace and compassion.

 


“Familiarity Breeds Contempt” – 1 December 2007
By Mary T. Hoffman

Probably everyone has heard that “familiarity breeds contempt” – a saying that has been around for a long time.

From what I’ve observed over the years, this is particularly true when it comes to humans exploiting other animals. There is something about living creatures at the mercy of some people that brings out their sadism – whether it is in a farming environment, research laboratory, entertainment industry, or even in private homes.

Humans have failed miserably in their God-ordained position of stewards to care for His creation. They have twisted the meaning of “dominion”
(Genesis 1:28) to justify their evil behavior toward those with whom we were meant to live in harmony.

In the very next Bible verse, God says, “See, I have given you every herb [plant] that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.” (Genesis 1:29)

And in Genesis 1:31, “God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.”
Humans can choose to admit that they have failed in their responsibility and correct their evil behavior by returning to God’s original intent for His creation, which was purely vegetarian (vegan); or they can continue in their downward spiral, destroying themselves along with all those who were entrusted to their care.

They can change “familiarity breeds contempt” to “familiarity breeds peace and harmony” and usher in the Peaceable Kingdom that the prophet Isaiah spoke of approximately 2,700 years ago:

Isaiah 11:6-9

6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,
The leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
The calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
And a little child shall lead them.

7 The cow and the bear shall graze;
Their young ones shall lie down together;
And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole,
And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den.

9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD
As the waters cover the sea.
~ New King James Version

Go on to: What Is “Normal”? – 2 December 2007
Return to: “Be Fruitful and Multiply” – 30 November 2007
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