Article November 28, 1988 Issue

The unwise ostrich

Isn't there a more permanent solution to difficulties than running away?

Elaine E. Ellis

You know what an ostrich is, don't you? A huge bird that can't fly. But it has another characteristic: when danger is approaching it runs away. (It's a fable that ostriches bury their heads in the sand.) An ostrich will fight only when cornered. We might say that anyone who attempts to avoid danger by refusing to face it is behaving like an ostrich!

At times it may be wise to avoid a dangerous confrontation, of course, but there are also times when it is better to stay and face a threat. You'd probably never convince the ostrich of that, however! Sometimes, like the ostrich, people don't want to face a difficulty—such as sin, lack, or sickness—until it gets so big they have no choice, they're cornered. But we don't have to run away. We can listen instead to the hymn's urging:

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