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“Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.” – Mother Teresa September, 2023 Malayan sun bears, especially females, do stand and walk on their hind legs. And they’re small as bears go, standing 4' 3" or shorter when on their hind legs, which unfortunately fed rumors that Angela was too small to be a “real” bear. As of 1998, the average height of a Chinese adult male was 169.2cm or just under 5' 6 1/2" and an adult female 158.6cm or about 5' 2 1/2". So if Angela were a human in a bear costume she would be either a relatively small adult, even by Chinese standards, or a child. Plus, a zoo employee pointed out that the summer temperature in the area was 104°F (40°C) and that a human in a fur bear suit wouldn’t last long in those conditions. Thus, while it’s bearly possible for Angela to be a disguised human, it’s also unlikely, at least in my opinion. It’s amazing to me what people can conclude based on watching an unfamiliar species for fifteen seconds. It’s also amazing that those same people are unwilling to educate themselves and instead jump to conclusions. I’m the most gullible person I know, but I’d like to think I’d know a bear when I saw one, especially a species I had already seen. Don’t worry, I’ll tie all this in to the Christian faith if you’ll bear with me. Just as Angela’s story shows that there are differences among bears, there are also differences among Christians. While there may be differences, we must “. . . hold fast to what is good.” (Rom. 12:9b ESV). Four years ago, Frostburg State University held a series of discussions on “The 5 Major Christian Beliefs.” The list included: the Uniqueness of Jesus (Virgin Birth); One God (The Trinity); the Necessity of the Cross (Salvation); the Resurrection and the Second Coming; and the Inspiration of Scripture. Frankly, of those, I only seriously believe three or four myself, depending on how you count. Apparently, I have a disagreement or perhaps I’m simply a heretic. Personally, to an extent, I think it’s less important what you believe than what you do about it. Near the end of the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7), Jesus talked to the people about wolves “in sheep’s clothing” (Matt. 7:15). He was specifically referring to false prophets and went on to say, “‘You will recognize them by their fruits.’” (vs. 16a ESV). The true mark of belief is a changed life, such as how the believers in Judea heard of Paul’s conversion: “‘He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.’” (Gal. 1:23b ESV). You can believe all the right things and say all the right things, but if your actions don’t match, if you aren’t practicing loving your neighbor, you aren’t “for real.” One day, John said to Jesus, “‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name,and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’” (Mark 9:38b ESV). In other words, “We saw someone who wasn’t part of our little group doing the things you told us to do, and we didn’t like it.” Jesus saw through what John was saying and replied in part, “‘. . . the one who is not against us is for us.’” (vs. 40 ESV). This is a valuable lesson for us today. Whoever is displaying “the fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22-23) is likely to be on the side of right, and if we display the same “fruit,” others will know our faith is more than a disguise. “But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us. For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.’” (Mark 9:39-41 ESV.) Copyright © 2023 by David Phelps
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