The circle of life is actually many different circles that start in different places but end up at the same point.

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Luke 1:13-17

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I’m feelin’ kinda “quotey” today…

No, that’s not a real word but on that, I’ll quote Mahatma Gandhi, “Speak only if it improves upon the silence.”

Now that we’ve got our roles defined, 🙂 let’s get on with today’s post.

One of my favorite Disney movies is The Lion King. I love the music, the story, and of course the acting is out of this world.

In one scene, Mufasa, the current Lion King and Serengeti Philosopher, speaks to his son, Simba, the future Lion King (in the mesmerizing voice of James Earl Jones) and says, “You see Simba, when we die, our bodies become the grass. And the antelope eat the grass, so we are all connected in the great circle of life.”

In real life, completely removed from the fantasy world of movies, we use the following words at funerals, as found in the Common Book of Prayer, “We therefore commit this body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life.”

One more…

In Genesis 3:19, God tells Adam, after he and his wife, Eve were caught snacking on the fruit of the Tree of Life, “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

For the ladies, you’ll probably be glad that I didn’t reference verse 17, in which God began his admonition of Adam by saying, “Because you listened to your wife…“

I’m just gonna leave that one sort of hangin’ out there…

So, the circle of life is begins at birth and ends with death.

Here’s a question, “Are some circles bigger, and more important, than others?”

Today’s Tiny Words. Big Life. Bible verse comes from the mouth of Gabriel, the angel who was sent to talk to Zechariah, the priest who was chosen by God to be the father of John the Baptist – the prophet who foretold the world about the coming of Jesus.

Yeah, I’d say his circle of life was much bigger and more important than mine.

But is it?

In another famous quote, “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link“, the point is made that we are all of equal importance.

Now think of your “circle of influence”… your family, friends, and acquaintances.

Since we’re all connected, according to Mufasa, we should consider these questions:

Am I strengthening my own circle of life? Am I a hinderance to others in their quest to strengthen theirs?

As a Christian, we know that if we trust in the Word of God and live our lives to glorify Him through His Son, Jesus Christ, the answer to those questions would be a resounding, “Yes” and “No“.

The Tiny Words. Big Life. takeaway is this: “Pray to strengthen your Circle of Life by relying on God. Pray to show others how they can be strengthened by having a relationship with the creator of all circles – the One Who Is and Will Ever Be.

And the next time you’re feeling like a movie, pop in (or click on) The Lion King.

Trust me, for the next hour and fifty-eight minutes, you’ll be glad you did.

Hakuna Matata.

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Luke 1:13-17

¹³ But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. ¹⁴ He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, ¹⁵ for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. ¹⁶ He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”