Letter from Susan About Chuck Swindoll's Duck Hunting - 19 Feb 2010
Hello Frank and Mary,
I struggle with this one. Chuck is a Texas “good ‘ole boy”, raised by a father that taught him to hunt. I know he’s not into big game hunting or even hunting for trophies, but it just cut me like a chef’s knife to hear him say he “loved to hunt”. I think he was duck hunting at the time.
Our two favorite mallards came to mind the minute I heard his words. Lochinvar and Lady Limp. These two are a mated pair and visited our property on a regular basis. Lady would come quacking to me for corn and I would always tell her, “just a minute—I’ll go and get some for you”. She’d be chattering with delight as she pecked up the morsels while her mate stood guard and occasionally helped himself. I studied them, how beautiful their feathers were, how sweet and benign their natures. I choked up thinking that a hunter could point his rifle at them and destroy their lives for nothing more than “enjoying the hunt”.
Maybe I should write him a note and include a chapter of my experiences with these two ducks over the years. I haven’t seen them in quite a while. I just hope that they are doing well or if they did pass away, it was due to natural events and not a hunter’s bullet.
I feel sad when I find a worm who tragically couldn’t escape the cruel concrete and died in the rays of the sun. One day on my way to work, I was picking up worms from the sidewalk and placing them in grassy areas when a man came up behind me and said, “I thought I was the only one who did that…”, I turned around and smiled and said “No, you aren’t but it sure does make me feel good to hear you say you do!” I said, God bless you, Sir, for your kind and compassionate heart.”
What makes some people courageous and bold enough to “feel” on such a deep level, and others barely able to extend the mere courtesy of holding a door for someone, or sharing a smile?
My heart aches for all the tortured, abused and mistreated animals, and the dear children who are born and practically left to raise themselves. When a child doesn’t receive love, is never taught kindness and empathy and respect for life, we perpetuate a world of violence, hatred and prejudice. I’m a huge fan of Michael Jackson and since his death I’ve been fascinated with his oftentimes very tragic life. One thing I came to really love about him was his love of children and his concern for mankind in general, evidenced by the vast amounts of money he donated to children’s causes and causes to help humanity. He was the most caring entertainer the world will ever know. He said some truly profound things about children and it’s just such a shame that his child-like innocence and love for children were so misunderstood and demonized. He loved animals, too, and though I didn’t necessarily agree with how he interacted with some of them, especially his chimp, Bubbles, his heart was in the right place. He cared very much about our world and his planned London concert series was going to have a strong focus on our environment and what we must do to stop the degradation to our planet. He knew that children hold the key to a better world. It is devastating to have lost this man through such an act of negligence. I pray that he is with God now and free from pain and torment.
If people really want to know what it means to be a Christian, they need to humble themselves and pray every day for their words, thoughts and deeds to be divinely gifted to them.
Instead of asking, “What would Jesus do”, people need to DO what Jesus would do. We already know how Jesus would respond and react in our own lives and in the lives of others.
We are in this world but we really are not of this world. We need to remember that.
Thank you again for your wonderful sermons, website and encouragement.
Thanks be to God for His Perfect and Everlasting Gift….Jesus Christ, our Savior!
Susan
Reply from Frank and Mary Hoffman
Dear Susan:
Your should write to Chuck.
Thank you for telling us about your duck friends.
We believe that God gives each and every one of us the compassionate feeling to be sensitive to the suffering of the whole of creation, but unfortunately most people fight against it in order to into the world.
We also know a lot of praying Christians, including clergy, who care nothing about the suffering of animals. And unfortunately they even twist what Jesus would do, such as these hunting clergy.
In the Love of the Lord,
Frank and Mary
Return to: Letters