ADVENT 3 (Swaddling Clothes): Wrapped and Protected

We are now on Day 3 of this years Christmas "Advent-ure" on Faith Radio, as we think together about various symbols that are associated with Jesus - not only at His birth, but through the entirety of His earthly life and ministry. Today, we go to Luke chapter 2, and the announcement of the angel to the shepherds in the field - let's pick up with verse 10:
10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.
11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."

Today's symbol is the swaddling clothes worn by Jesus, the One who wraps us in His love.

Maybe you caught this story a few weeks ago - a household pet who had become an Internet sensation, was removed from the home where he was being kept, along with another animal, and euthanized.  Some have viewed the untimely death of Peanut the Squirrel as a symbol of overreach by overzealous authorities.

At The Daily Citizen from Focus on the Family, Jeff Johnston highlighted the implications of the treatment of Peanut, as well as Fred the Raccoon, who was also removed. He mentioned that owner Mark Longo, following the death of his mother in an accident...

...fostered the baby eastern gray squirrel, feeding him with a bottle, then released him into the wilds. When he returned, bright-eyed, but with half his bushy tail missing, Longo and his wife Daniela adopted the pet as their own, fearing he would not survive in “Nature, red in tooth and claw,” as Lord Alfred Tennyson framed the harsh and ruthless world of wild beasts.

Longo, who also posts less savory fare on other sites (NOT recommended by Focus on the Family), began a more family-friendly Instagram account for the half-tailed critter, which now has 914,000 followers. Most of the short posts are of Peanut jumping around the Longos’ home, along with a few of Fred the raccoon and other rescue animals from the family’s upstate New York farm, “P’nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary.”

This, by no means, is a case of exalting animal rights over human rights, as some seem to be prone to do. But, it is a story of basic human decency.  Johnston continues:

“Mr. Longo has said that he and his wife were in the process of getting their licenses to rehabilitate wildlife,” The New York Times reported.

But licensed wildlife rehabilitators – allegedly motivated by jealousy – ratted out the Longos to the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Chemung County Health Department’s Environmental Health Services. You know matters are turning Orwellian when bloated state bureaus have such lengthy titles.

Johnston notes:

But while there have been celebrity squirrels in the past, none quite reaches Peanut’s (and Fred’s) popularity as a mascot for those seeking to fight an over-bloated, over-large government. His untimely demise unleashed the furor of many – especially on X.

Peanut has sparked a resistance movement. Hillsdale College, with its motto “Pursuing Truth – Defending Liberty,” quoted The Federalist Papers on X, calling too much government power “tyranny”:

The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, selfappointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny. – Federalist 47

He concludes by saying: "Peanut (along with Fred) has become a vivid symbol for those who oppose tyrannical government policies and actions. He lives on as an emblem for Truth, Justice, and the American Way."

As for Longo, he has threatened legal action.  The Daily Citizen article states:

Appearing on NewsNation with Chris Cuomo, Longo told the outlet “he’s filing a ‘very big’ lawsuit, demanding answers after … state authorities left him in the dark about what happened to his beloved squirrel and raccoon, which were seized in a warrant search.”

He may have a case, as even Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch called the arrest and execution of the furry rodent an example of “government overreach,” in an address to the Federalist Society.

That is according to an article at The Hill website. 

It's no joke - the plight of Peanut has been regarded as emblematic of overzealous officials who exhibit tyrannical tendencies.  And, when taken to extremes, what seems to be removed from reality becomes really concerning.  When you consider that our nation was founded on those who wanted to stand against the tyranny of burdensome leadership, embracing what they regarded to be a righteous cause influenced by their Christian faith, we can and should become especially sensitive to areas in which this attitude crops up.  Again, this is not a case of extreme animal rights, but it does show an unfortunate human capacity for extreme action when another path could have been chosen. 

The concept of protecting the vulnerable can be an important one to embrace during this Advent season. Jesus came from heaven to earth and was actually born of a woman.  The baby in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes, can remind us that, even in our most troublesome or vulnerable times, Jesus wraps us in His love.  He identifies in our struggles - the Bible says He was tempted in all things, just like us.  He was mocked, beaten, scourged, rejected.  He submitted to death so that we could have life for eternity.  And, when we hurt, He wraps us tightly in His love.