Once visiting the city of Chiclayo in the North of Peru, salvationists took us to see a giant bird farm. There we were able to learn about the habits of Ostriches and Emus including the curious behaviour of their male.
The male Ostrich digs and prepares the nestle and after his female deposits the egg he takes turns with her to incubate the egg sitting on it during the night while she does it during the day. The male Ostrich seems to be a good husband, but the negative side about him is that he is polygamous.
With the Emus the responsibility for the nestle building and afterwards the egg incubation rests entirely on the female, the male doesn’t help at all. The male Emu seems to be a bad husband but the positive side about him is that he is monogamous.
While it may seem that the habits of human males are not much different, Christian men have a more excellent behaviour alternative than to be good polygamous husbands or bad monogamous ones. It is possible to be a good monogamous husband! We read in the New Testament that the marital relationship can be like Christ’s relationship with his Church, meaning a relationship of lasting fidelity and constant cooperation.
Men don’t need to behave like Ostriches or Emus nor do women need to submit to the habits of giant birds. Men and women can maintain a balanced and harmonic relationship where respect and mutual support can predominate.
At times our society’s behaviour looks like a zoo and we feel pressured to behave like animals. However let’s not forget that we are children of God and as Christians we are not Ostriches or Emus.
- When and how do you help with the domestic tasks?
- What makes the relationship between men and women unbalanced?
(Like Christ loved the church, Ephesians 5:25 / Husband of one wife, 1 Timothy 3:12)