By now we have all heard the story of Harambe and the boy. I would not be surprised if Disney is not developing a movie right now about this. It's been all over the news and social media with both sides weighing in. It's amazing how we are so quick to judge both parties involved when we really don't have all the facts. In the information age, we still remain grossly misinformed.
There is a petition going around asking for "Justice for Harambe." #justiceforHarambe is trending on twitter with many more voices weighing in. Some are saying that the gorilla was protecting the boy. They are saddened that a beautiful, endangered animal would be shot to protect a "brat" (as one protest sign said in the front of the zoo) who fell into the cage because his negligent parent was not watching him. Twitter user @lifeaseva said:
I wish more people were raised to have compassion, respect and education for animals. Maybe then #justiceforharambe wouldn't have to trend .
I wasn't going to weigh in on this issue, but since it's still being talked about, I might as well. I understand that this is a tragic event. I understand that many people were affected by it. What I don't understand is why are we spending so much time talking about a gorilla and not enough time being thankful that a young child was not more seriously hurt or worse? I do not think that the gorilla was trying to harm the boy, but the gorilla could very easily have harmed him because silver back gorillas are as strong as ten men put together. I can bench press close to 300 pound. Multiply that by ten. Would you want to be face to face with something that strong?
Here's the problem with our society: we have screwed up God's creation chain. We put animals at the top of God's created order. We put them on such a high pedestal that we are saddened more when an animal dies than when a person dies. How much time are we giving to the recent shootings on the UCLA campus? You barely hear of it because a gorilla is not involved.
How quickly we forget that we are created in God's image (Genesis 1:27), and that we are the only part of His creation with that distinguished title. Animals were created before us, but this is what God said to Adam and Eve after he created them: "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth" (Genesis 1:28). Did you catch that? God told man and woman to rule over creation. This was not meant to be a dictatorship, but a respectful care taking of creation. But, human beings were supposed to be at the top; anything else was against God's created order.
The boy who fell into that pit was created in God's image; therefore, that boy is more valuable than the gorilla who was not. Jesus didn't come and die for the animals; he came and died for people.
I love animals just as much as the next person, but I love people more. If any of my sons were to be in danger from an animal, I would do everything in my power to stop that animal. If that animal had to lose its life so any of my sons could live, then so be it.
Harambe was a beautiful animal that God created. His life ended tragically. But, his life ended to protect a boy who was created in God's image; a boy who Jesus died for on the cross.
Justice for Harambe needs to stop. He was an sentient being, but not at the top of God's chain. God created Harambe, but he created the boy better. Protecting a human being's life should always come first.
