Reflections on the crocodile and the humming bird

The crocodile and the humming bird

There is a huge contrast between the crocodile and the humming bird.

Let’s face it: the crocodile is ugly and the hummingbird is charming. Yet God did not deprive the crocodile of all beauty; once its skin is be cut and shined it can, among other things, be used to make shoes, belts and high end pocket books for ladies.

In the case of the crocodile, God ordained that man use his ingenuity to discover its beauty.

God reveals Himself to us as the model of all beauty, whether it be in creating the crocodile, hummingbird, or, above all, man whom birds and reptiles should serve.

* * *

What does the crocodile do?

It moves very slowly. It has little legs. It doesn’t walk much.

Compare a crocodile’s legs to those of a deer. That comparison shows that deer is made for speed and the crocodile to sit still. The crocodile tends to move slow and seldom. It’s in no rush.

As far as I can tell, crocodiles defend themselves ferociously. The “very stable” are that way. And the crocodile can kill just about any animal that gets near its mouth or tail.

Using a human analogy, the crocodile is an “introvert.” He sits there with his mouth half open, breathing, and feeling … the feeling of being alive. It “likes” to “feel” itself living.

And that is why it is stable.

By nature it doesn’t like to move much. It doesn’t need to. It is self-sufficient. The crocodile seems to say, “leave me alone, and let me live.” It sits in the sun until it gets too hot. Then it jumps in the water and disappears.

The crocodile symbolizes the hyper introvert.

* * *

Again, using human analogies, you could say that the hummingbird doesn’t “feel” itself. While the crocodile is a first rate individualist, the hummingbird is a first rate socialite. 

From afar, the hummingbird spots a flower that it wants to nibble. It flies in a zigzag course. This gives the impression that it almost doesn’t see the flower clearly. But it does.

When the hummingbird reaches the flower, it picks and eats the pollen and flies away.

The hummingbird is totally turned towards others. It only stops to sleep. But, as soon as it wakes up, it flies off to be in touch with everything around it. That is its enjoyment.

It is a mistake to think that the hummingbird only likes flowers. It also loves the air and the wind. It flies in the euphoria of flying.

As the crocodile delights in stretching itself out next to the river, the hummingbird, darting through the air, delights in the joy of flying over it.

The hummingbird gives me this impression: for every inch that it fliers, it receives a different form of energy from the earth, but it doesn’t like to stay too long subject to the same energy.

The hummingbird likes to change, change and change again. It likes to feel the harmony of the energies that alternate, something eminently suitable to the ability to relate with others.

The hummingbird likes a breeze, but not a hurricane. That is because it is small and can easily get blown away. It loves to create a little wind, a little stir… The reaction of a man in a pleasant breeze is similar to those of a hummingbird. The pleasure of feeling the air inundates, satisfies and enchants…