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
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