I don’t know what things are like around your neck of the woods but there are a lot of bunnies around where we live. They seem to be much more numerous this year. When I am running by them in the morning they don’t even jump away – they just keep right on munching their clover or grass or whatever tasty weed they have discovered.
One of my favorite stories is about a bunny – specifically “Barrington Bunny.” The story can be found in the book The Way of the Wolf by Martin Bell. I 
was thinking about this story on my run this morning. Barrington has some things to teach us in our world today.
Sure, Barrington Bunny is a sad story, but Barrington reminds us of two very important things. 1) We are all related. Barrington learns that all the animals in the forest are members of his family. He treats them as family regardless of whether they look like him or even welcome him. Barrington also realizes that he has something to give. And while that gift ultimately costs him his own life, he saves another in the process and helps reunite them with their family.
We as people, have become so suspicious of one another. I worry about my children growing up in a land where people want everyone else to look just like they do, think like they do, or behave like they do. Sure, we appreciate a common set of values – and one of those can be understanding. When we don’t seek to understand then we are likely to deny people basic human rights. To deny someone thier rights just because they look differently than me is wrong, short sighted, and destructive. What if we really did live by the Golden Rule?
I was given a great gift as a teenager by having the opportunity to live in another culture. I lived in Uruguay, South American for a year during high school. I grew to appreciate another culture and another way of “doing” life. There is such rich diversity in our world and it is what makes humanity amazing. I believe it shows the wonder and the brilliance of the Creator. We need to celebrate that and support each other in achieving our best rather than pushing others away or pushing others down. Giving ourselves for the sake of others and acknowledging our connectedness promotes life, community, and a future full of possibilities. Yes, it may cost us something, but what we gain is far more important.
All that from a bunch of bunnies!