The King of the Jungle

"What makes the lion the king of the jungle? And before you answer that, ask yourself another question: which jungle is he king of?"

*Crickets*

(No, he's not king of the cricket jungle, I'm just using some sound effects there, for those unfamiliar with the implication of sounds, actions, or various onomatopoeia sandwiched between asterisks)

Anyway. That was the question posed to us today from our Critical Reading & Writing lecturer. Following the deafening silence that trailed his question, I finally plucked up the courage to say something about his hair (the lion, not the lecturer). I was lost on the jungle bit, since I thought lions only lived on African cliffs overlooking all other animals neatly bowing to the lion cub being dangled precariously over the edge of a cliff by an ancient baboon... but I digress. My lecturer's point was that we have to think beyond face value. He was basically suggesting that whatever we read or hear or ingest in whatever form, we should do so with an open mind, while considering the author's contextual influences, be they cultural, denominational, lingual, sexual- wait, that's not right... genderial? *Shrug*

Let me pause a second here to voice some concerns on the academic side of my theological pursuits. I had my very first taste of the ailment known as studentdebatingtheologicalissueswithlecturer-
withotherstudentinterjectingwhiletherestofusgetrestless-isis.

I'm amazed to say that I didn't forsee this coming. When I finally realized it, though, I groaned, winced, and gritted my teeth inwardly (all at the same time!) at the thought of many many many more to come. Especially for the inevitable many that would spawn not from the pursuit of new perspectives or conviction challenges, nor the strength of their own convictions, but for the sake of being right and/or imposing their values upon others.

I understand that the practice of excessive tolerance greatly contributes to phenomena such as gay churches and the like, but honestly, considering the fact that we're all from different denominations with different experiences and different backgrounds, tolerance and loving acceptance is totally, completely, essentially, and necessarily required (redundancies for emphasis). Not only is it the right thing to do, but tarnation! I ain't never gonna be wastin' no time on needless debates none (quadruple negatives for fun) when there's more important stuff to be learnt. I suppose the crux of the matter lies in whether we have the faith and security in our own convictions to know that they hold true for ourselves without needing others to reaffirm us with their agreement. And if our convictions be challenged during this time, all the better! What better way to be convicted of a conviction than sticking to it despite the challenges, rather than plain and simple close-minded stubbornness.

Back to the lion.

The baboon dropped the cub and the lion ate the baboon.

The End.