Key Verse
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called
children of God.” Matthew 5:9 WEB
Lesson
Australia, the Land Down Under, has many unique and unusual
animals. Some are scary, some are cute, and some are just odd. Firehawks might
fall into the last category. Wildfires are common in Australia’s grasslands.
They are often started by lighting and sometimes by humans. But some birds have
come-to-light recently that also contribute to the spread of wildfire. Firehawk
is a colloquial term referring to birds that deliberately spread fire.
There are three known species that practice this odd behavior.
The black kite (Milvus migrans), whistling kite (Haliastur
sphenurus), and the brown falcon (Falco berigora) have all
been reported to spread fire purposely. These birds make their home in the open
grasslands. They prey on small mammals, lizards, insects and other small
animals. They have learned that as wildfires spread, the small animals flee the
flames in great numbers. So, they perch near the edge of the fire and let the
feast come to them. It's easy hunting.
But what if that does not provide enough food? These clever
birds have learned that they can speed up the fire by picking up burning or
smoldering sticks and drop them a half mile away to start a new fire. This will
cause more small animals to flee straight into the talons of the firehawks!1,2 These
birds are amazing and cleaver hunters, but their actions remind me of some
people I have met. Maybe you know they type of person I am thinking of. They
enjoy spreading gossip and discord among others that works like a flame
spreading a destructive wildfire. They think it’s funny when they hurt or offend
others. These individuals think it’s fun to start arguments or cause problems. They
like to be annoying or insult people for pleasure. They are social firehawks!
These people often spread discord and cause problems because
they are hurting on the inside. But how do you deal with someone like that? The
bible has a lot to say on this topic. “As for a person who stirs up division,
after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him,”
Titus 3:10 ESV. This is good advice. Try to discourage such a person from continuing
in their ways. If they do not listen, it is best to avoid them. They are not
your friend because they do not have your best interests in mind.
Sadly, firehawks will always be around. Proverbs 26:20 offers
another piece of advice, “Fire goes out without wood, and quarrels disappear
when gossip stops.” NLT. You cannot always control firehawks or make them go
away. But you can help stop the spread of their fire by not participating in their
negative comments or gossip. The best thing you can do is pray for them and
treat them with kindness no matter how they treat you.
Questions
How does it make you feel when someone hurts your feelings
or gossips about you?
Why does the Bible advise us to avoid social firehawks? (read
Titus 3:10 again)
Do you think people like that can change? Why or why not?
Is it our job as Christians to try and change or “convert”
such people to the love of Christ? If so how?
Have you ever acted like a social firehawk? If so, what are
going to do to change that?
Sources
1. Michael Greshko. “Why These Birds Carry Flames In Their
Beaks,” January 8, 2018. National Geographic online, accessed
from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2018/01/wildfires-birds-animals-australia/.
2. Mark Bonta, Robert Gosford, Dick Eussen, Nathan Ferguson, Erana Loveless, and Maxwell Witwer "Intentional Fire-Spreading by “Firehawk” Raptors in Northern Australia," Journal of Ethnobiology 37(4), 700-718, (1 December 2017). https://doi.org/10.2993/0278-0771-37.4.700
Written by David F. Garner
Photo credit: pen_ash via www.pixabay.com
Pictured above: brown falcon