Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) ~ Guard your Tongue
While i was living in Wellington, NZ, i'd often walk down to the harbor after work. It was hard working 30 hours per week as a maid in the hotel, on top of the rigorous field research i was doing for my Master's degree in conservation biology. But there beside the glittering harbor with the crying gulls and the lonely chink-chink of rocking ships nestled in their ports, i could forget my worries.
On a particularly gray and blustery day i walked out onto the stone pier to watch the white caps moving across the seawater. i stood in the cold and the howling din, drinking in the stormy scenery. Suddenly a great explosion of mist plumed up from the water just beside me! i leapt out of my skin! There a massive orca appeared from the blackness, just for a moment, and disappeared again. A dozen dorsal fins rose up at once, cutting through the wrinkled mirror of the water like black knives. They changed course and made for something swimming in the distance. To my horror i saw that it was a long-distance swimmer crossing the harbor. Orca are notoriously curious, and often hunt for sport.
i flashed back on the first time i witnessed footage of orcas hunting whales. The mother humpback fought with all her might to hold up her baby, protecting him from snapping jaws and allowing him to breathe. But the orcas overpowered the mother, eventually separating the baby and pushing him down into the waters. He fought to reach the surface again, but the orcas kept pressing him under until he drowned. What disturbed me most about the footage was not just the sight of a distressed mother separated from her calf, but the aftermath of feeding. The orcas were not very hungry that day, and they simply consumed the baby’s tongue and lower jaw but left the rest to rot at the bottom of the sea. They’d been hunting for sport. Contrary to popular belief, Killer Whales are not whales at all, but the largest type of odontoceti (similar to a dolphin). They are called Killer Whales because of their remarkable hunting behavior. Originally they were known as ‘whale-killers’. With 4-inch long teeth and incredible agility, orcas are among the most deadly predators on the planet. Their varied techniques have led biologists to liken them to wolf packs. Also like wolves, orcas hunt in family groups of up to 40 individuals and are thus capable of bringing down animals much larger than themselves.
i watched in horror as the pod of Killer Whales passed under the swimmer. If i leapt into the water i'd never make it to the man in time, and even if i did, what would have stopped the orca from attacking me as well? i watched helplessly, and prayed. The man emerged onto the sand and stood up. i rushed over to him to see if he was alright. No one else had seen the event. The man told me he was fine, and he hadn't even seen the orca! They must have simply investigated him and moved along.
On a particularly gray and blustery day i walked out onto the stone pier to watch the white caps moving across the seawater. i stood in the cold and the howling din, drinking in the stormy scenery. Suddenly a great explosion of mist plumed up from the water just beside me! i leapt out of my skin! There a massive orca appeared from the blackness, just for a moment, and disappeared again. A dozen dorsal fins rose up at once, cutting through the wrinkled mirror of the water like black knives. They changed course and made for something swimming in the distance. To my horror i saw that it was a long-distance swimmer crossing the harbor. Orca are notoriously curious, and often hunt for sport.
i flashed back on the first time i witnessed footage of orcas hunting whales. The mother humpback fought with all her might to hold up her baby, protecting him from snapping jaws and allowing him to breathe. But the orcas overpowered the mother, eventually separating the baby and pushing him down into the waters. He fought to reach the surface again, but the orcas kept pressing him under until he drowned. What disturbed me most about the footage was not just the sight of a distressed mother separated from her calf, but the aftermath of feeding. The orcas were not very hungry that day, and they simply consumed the baby’s tongue and lower jaw but left the rest to rot at the bottom of the sea. They’d been hunting for sport. Contrary to popular belief, Killer Whales are not whales at all, but the largest type of odontoceti (similar to a dolphin). They are called Killer Whales because of their remarkable hunting behavior. Originally they were known as ‘whale-killers’. With 4-inch long teeth and incredible agility, orcas are among the most deadly predators on the planet. Their varied techniques have led biologists to liken them to wolf packs. Also like wolves, orcas hunt in family groups of up to 40 individuals and are thus capable of bringing down animals much larger than themselves.
i watched in horror as the pod of Killer Whales passed under the swimmer. If i leapt into the water i'd never make it to the man in time, and even if i did, what would have stopped the orca from attacking me as well? i watched helplessly, and prayed. The man emerged onto the sand and stood up. i rushed over to him to see if he was alright. No one else had seen the event. The man told me he was fine, and he hadn't even seen the orca! They must have simply investigated him and moved along.
As i walked away, i felt tremendously grateful for the man's survival. But i also couldn't shake the footage i'd seen earlier of the orca hunting whale calves. As i walked home through the blustery streets, a gentle rain began to fall. My mind began making connections, and i reflected on our spiritual
struggle against evil as an analog for the video footage. I took two
things away from this comparison.
First, we must stay close to our Father, and to the light He
is pushing us toward. When we are
separated from His protection, we are brought down easily to the darkness. Those deep waters are a place of suffocation and loneliness
where we are estranged and consumed.
Second, we must protect our tongues. James 3 talks about how much damage the
tongue can do to other people. It
is my belief that the tongue is one of the first things the enemy comes after
when we are down for the count.
When we are feeling insecure, we may be tempted to speak ill of someone
else to puff ourselves up. When
we’ve been hurt, we may want to gossip about the person who hurt us. i have met some people in my life who have a speech so violent, so dark, it seems set on fire by Hell itself. As the Proverbs 18v21, says, "the tongue has the power of life and death." Satan wants to consume our tongue, and
with terrible consequences.
We face a daily battle. We are constantly hunted and hounded. We are often on the verge of losing our tongues; of letting our words run away with us. But we have a great Protector who is mightier than our foes, and by staying close to Him we will continue to see the light of day.
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