Chalk
Do you remember the stuff you used to write with on the slate at school? Chalk. These days' students use biro, felt pens and computer keyboards.
Have you ever been to the south coast of England? If not
you may have seen pictures of it or can remember the wartime
song "There'll Be Bluebirds Over The White Cliffs Of Dover."
These white cliffs are composed of chalk. Chalk is formed by
the shells of very tiny animals called 'Foraminifera',
meaning 'hole-bearers'. They are so called because their
small shells are pierced with little holes. Thousands of
years ago there were trillions of these little creatures in
the sea. As they died their shells fell to the sea floor and
formed a layer that gradually became thicker and thicker.
Then followed an earthquake and pushed the layer upwards to
form chalk cliffs.
These cliffs are being destroyed by another small shellfish
called a 'Piddock'. This creature can twist its shell rather
like an awl or drill bit to make holes in the chalk. They
attack the cliffs just above high water, and as the seas
pound against the cliffs they are weakened and eventually
collapse in a landslide. A naturalist, writing about
Piddocks, said that Britain is an island because of the work
of Piddocks. Britain was once joined to the continent of
Europe, and over thousands of years Piddocks have destroyed
the chalk cliffs to form the English Channel. This piece of
trivia does highlight what great things can be achieved by
very tiny creatures, and how much can result from very
little. It would have cost billions to excavate the English
Channel, but the humble Piddock did it alone.
The moral is plain, and centres around two thoughts. We may
think that we are very little and insignificant in the
scheme of things. Yet the small can do something, and do it
well. Our little contribution to life is part of something
far greater than we can understand. As Christians, the
little we do to help others or to spread the Good News of
Jesus, is but a small part of a mighty global plan. As Jesus
said, "Go into all the world and make disciples of all
nations." It starts in the street where we live.
Pastor Ron w4w@keypoint.com.au