This morning I was jolted awake by a call from my oldest daughter. Her voice carried a heaviness as she told me about a paralyzed rabbit she'd spotted on the side of the road on her way to work. Unable to stop she guided me over the phone on where to find it. When I finally found the terrified little creature, it was heart-wrenching. The rabbit's back legs hung uselessly behind it, yet it fought with all its might, dragging itself away from me in a desperate bid for freedom. I leaned closer, hoping to assess its injuries before picking it up, only to be met with fierce resistance. It flailed and squirmed, each movement an act of willful defiance, as though it believed escape was still possible, despite the odds stacked against it. In that moment, I couldn't help but feel a wave of sadness wash over me, a reflection of our world today. Like that wounded rabbit, we all seem to be dragging ourselves through a landscape fractured by uncertainty and fear, grasping for hope with every stretch of our weary bodies.
Driving those 40 minutes to the wildlife rehab center felt like an eternity, the rabbit sitting in a box on my lap, fragile and broken. I knew what awaited it once we arrived; euthanasia was the kindest option, a way to spare it from suffering on the side of the road while it lingered in pain. This grim thought lingered in my mind, echoing concerns much larger than that little creature's fate. It struck me how similar the rabbit's plight is to our own country, where divisions and hatred run rampant. In Matthew 12:25, we learn about the dangers of being divided; it promises destruction, much like I feared for the rabbit. I often reflect on the duality of humanity: our ability to rationalize, which is our greatest evil, and our hope, which feels so fragile amid the chaos. Everywhere I turn, it seems hate has taken center stage, amplified by social media as it reflects our darkest selves. As I thought of the little rabbit taking its last breath I couldn't help but wonder if there's a way for us to muster the courage to face our own suffering, to find a path toward healing before it's too late.
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