Inside Outside at the Zoo

Apparently every family on Spring break decided to go to the St Louis zoo the same day my family did.  I can’t imagine why.  Cabin fever, warm weekend, and kids off school: winner, winner, chicken dinner!

A few years ago the zoo built a large play structure by the primate house for kids to play on.  Made to look like a Tarzan treehouse, kids climb up rope webbing, perch on platforms and traverse various bridges above the sidewalk.  I noticed something new behind the play structure; there were various animal enclosures for the primates.  I said “lets look at the inside animals first, then we can look at the outside animals.”

As we walked through the interior, several of the animals unfortunately not able to be viewed.  They were either sick, or hiding too good to be seen.  It wasn’t until we came outside that we realized that those animals we couldn’t see indoors, had come outside.  Each of their enclosures had a gateway that allowed them to move from their indoor space to their outdoor space.

What an obvious solution to help the animals have a better experience. I would hate to be cooped up inside all day when the spring air is so fresh outside.  I would also hate to be stuck outside on frigid winter nights or sweltering summer afternoons.  This “inside-outside” enclosure is not a new idea, but it really made me think.

How often do we think in terms of “inside the church” or “outside the church?”  It is easy to assume that the congregation is static, regular and familiar, like the inside enclosure. Everyone has their favorite spot, the lights come on and go off when we expect and we do what we have always done.  But when we step back we realize that this is not ideal for us, or the animals.

There is joy to be found in the spontaneity of life, in the freshness of the wide open world.  It is good for us to escape our enclosure to keep our imaginations wide open, to be reminded that the inside is only small part of the big picture outside.

As we have been reading Draw the Circle, The 40 Day Prayer Challenge, I have been constantly reminded of my own predilection to like “being inside” where it is comfortable and easy.  God has been challenging me to “go outside” and see beyond my own expectations, and to pray big prayers—and to expect big responses from God!

The church is always struggling to balance the inside and outside roles.  We need both to be healthy.  The church is steeped in meaningful traditions, yet the world around us demands we adapt so that Christ’s message can be heard by people today.  Jesus never promised the way would be easy or smooth, but he did promise that whether inside or outside we are still His.

           Pastor Karl