Driving along a rural road we found ourselves with a group of baboons on each side of us. “Group” is the term used for a large family or clan of baboons, and no I am not referring to the team members sitting all around me. These were actual baboons. Within our vehicle was a bunch of well ripened bananas that we had not yet thrown out. We opened the window and threw one banana into the group. The largest baboon and obviously the more dominant rushed forward and ate the banana, peal and all. We then picked out a smaller baboon and threw a banana toward him, though the dominant one cased the smaller baboon away and ate the banana quickly. When we threw a banana directly to a different large baboon, a fight took place, teeth were barred as the dominant tried to snatch the banana away. Occasionally a young baboon would catch a banana directly thrown to it and then scamper through a low lying path that the dominant could not get through, thus the smaller one got away with a banana, though not without some screeching howls from the dominant one. Mother baboons did not seem willing to try to help get some food for the younger ones that they were carrying. It seemed normal that the strong one should eat and the rest should not.
I thought of the nature of this group of primate like mammals where “might makes right”. In our human society if there is no absolute moral code then norms and morals of society are made by similar standards. Those with the most strength, the most knowledge, the most skill, the most persuasive communication, the most friends, or the most money end up establishing the guidelines for all. In the baboon community the mothers, the young and the weak all bowed down to the ruling of the mighty dominant one. This is not the way it is to be within mankind. God has put a moral code within each of us. God has written His law within our hearts, (Rom 2:15) so that one individual does not rule at the expense of others. As Christians we are called to help the weak and the poor, not to oppress them.
Lord, help us not to be self serving individuals. Give us sensitive hearts to the needs of others.
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