I first heard this story in a sermon and loved it.
Now I've shared it with you.
I do not know who the original creative mind behind it was.
Once there was a man in tattered clothes who wandered the
streets of a great city. It had been three days since his last meal. He was
weary and cold. As he trudged forlornly through the unfriendly streets, he
happened to pass by the zoo. “Maybe there is work at the zoo!” he thought, “I
could feed animals at least!” And so, since there was nothing to lose, he
stepped inside to inquire.
The zoo manager listened to the homeless man’s query. At last he shook his head. “No,” he said slowly, “we don’t need any more keepers here. But I have a proposition for you. How would you like to be a gorilla?”
“A gorilla!” exclaimed the man.
“Yes,” the manager replied. “Our gorilla died recently, and he was a big attraction here. If you would be willing to dress up in a gorilla costume, I’ll pay you well. All you have to do is hang out in the gorilla cage and not let on that you’re really a human.”
The man thought it over. What did he have to lose? Sure, he’d never been a gorilla before, but being a gorilla was bound to be better than being homeless. So he agreed to give it a try.
Being a gorilla wasn’t as hard as he feared it might be. In fact, the man rather enjoyed it. He lay on the sunny slope of his enclosure and soaked in the sun. He made fierce faces at the visitors to the zoo. He walked on all fours and sometimes grabbed the bars of his enclosure and shook them as if he wished to escape.
“Look at that gorilla!” zoo goers would say. “Isn’t he strong and handsome? Isn’t he fierce? He looks so intelligent!"
The compliments were nice. It became comfortable being a gorilla. Oh, there were days he wished to be a regular human again, when the gorilla suit felt itchy or when he wished to do normal human things. Yet he was comfortable here with a costume and a cage between him and everyone else. It felt safe.
One day the man-gorilla was feeling adventurous. He walked to the far side of his enclosure where he rarely explored. Tired of the same scenery day in and day out, he climbed a small tree near the wall separating the gorilla enclosure from the enclosure next door. He clambered out onto a limb that hung over the wall and sat there.
The crowd was delighted.
And because a happy crowd meant job security, the man-gorilla decided to put on a show. He bounced up and down on the limb, then moved even further toward the end of the branch.
Suddenly there was a sharp crack and the man found himself plummeting to the ground. He landed with a thud. He shook his head, which was a bit confused after the fall, and picked himself up off the ground. It was then he realized to his horror that he had landed, not in his enclosure, but on the other side of the wall.
He was in the lion’s pen.
The watching crowd was screaming in excitement. What would happen when these two great beasts met? Would there be a fight?
The man had never wished harder to be a real gorilla. But he knew he wasn’t. He knew the best costume in the world couldn’t hide the fact from the lion that he was not really a gorilla.
He looked around for a way out, but there was none. Should he call to the crowd and ask for help? If he did, he would certainly lose his job. Maybe he could bluff his way out of this. He turned and looked up the little hill in front of him. His heart nearly failed within. Just at the top of the rise, coming toward him at a frightening pace, was the lion.
He took a step back toward the wall. The lion kept coming.
He took another step. The lion kept coming.
He took a third step back and felt the rough concrete wall behind him. The lion slowed and stopped about ten feet away. Then it took another step forward.
The man was sweating inside his gorilla suit. Surely his life was worth more than his job! But even if he cried for help, would anyone hear him? Would anyone be able to come to his rescue?
The tawny-coated lion took another step forward.
The man threw caution to the wind. At least, he tried to. He wanted to yell for help, but all that came out was a whispery voice. “Help!” he said.
The lion paused. It lowered it’s head. Then it spoke. “Be quiet!” it hissed. “Do you want to get us both fired?”
The zoo manager listened to the homeless man’s query. At last he shook his head. “No,” he said slowly, “we don’t need any more keepers here. But I have a proposition for you. How would you like to be a gorilla?”
“A gorilla!” exclaimed the man.
“Yes,” the manager replied. “Our gorilla died recently, and he was a big attraction here. If you would be willing to dress up in a gorilla costume, I’ll pay you well. All you have to do is hang out in the gorilla cage and not let on that you’re really a human.”
The man thought it over. What did he have to lose? Sure, he’d never been a gorilla before, but being a gorilla was bound to be better than being homeless. So he agreed to give it a try.
Being a gorilla wasn’t as hard as he feared it might be. In fact, the man rather enjoyed it. He lay on the sunny slope of his enclosure and soaked in the sun. He made fierce faces at the visitors to the zoo. He walked on all fours and sometimes grabbed the bars of his enclosure and shook them as if he wished to escape.
“Look at that gorilla!” zoo goers would say. “Isn’t he strong and handsome? Isn’t he fierce? He looks so intelligent!"
The compliments were nice. It became comfortable being a gorilla. Oh, there were days he wished to be a regular human again, when the gorilla suit felt itchy or when he wished to do normal human things. Yet he was comfortable here with a costume and a cage between him and everyone else. It felt safe.
One day the man-gorilla was feeling adventurous. He walked to the far side of his enclosure where he rarely explored. Tired of the same scenery day in and day out, he climbed a small tree near the wall separating the gorilla enclosure from the enclosure next door. He clambered out onto a limb that hung over the wall and sat there.
The crowd was delighted.
And because a happy crowd meant job security, the man-gorilla decided to put on a show. He bounced up and down on the limb, then moved even further toward the end of the branch.
Suddenly there was a sharp crack and the man found himself plummeting to the ground. He landed with a thud. He shook his head, which was a bit confused after the fall, and picked himself up off the ground. It was then he realized to his horror that he had landed, not in his enclosure, but on the other side of the wall.
He was in the lion’s pen.
The watching crowd was screaming in excitement. What would happen when these two great beasts met? Would there be a fight?
The man had never wished harder to be a real gorilla. But he knew he wasn’t. He knew the best costume in the world couldn’t hide the fact from the lion that he was not really a gorilla.
He looked around for a way out, but there was none. Should he call to the crowd and ask for help? If he did, he would certainly lose his job. Maybe he could bluff his way out of this. He turned and looked up the little hill in front of him. His heart nearly failed within. Just at the top of the rise, coming toward him at a frightening pace, was the lion.
He took a step back toward the wall. The lion kept coming.
He took another step. The lion kept coming.
He took a third step back and felt the rough concrete wall behind him. The lion slowed and stopped about ten feet away. Then it took another step forward.
The man was sweating inside his gorilla suit. Surely his life was worth more than his job! But even if he cried for help, would anyone hear him? Would anyone be able to come to his rescue?
The tawny-coated lion took another step forward.
The man threw caution to the wind. At least, he tried to. He wanted to yell for help, but all that came out was a whispery voice. “Help!” he said.
The lion paused. It lowered it’s head. Then it spoke. “Be quiet!” it hissed. “Do you want to get us both fired?”
Where do you find yourself in this story? Are you wearing a gorilla costume, wishing to be human? Does your gorilla suit feel like security? What
would it take for you to be willing to take it off and be yourself again?
would it take for you to be willing to take it off and be yourself again?
Our Jesus isn't fooled. He knows you are human. After all, He is your Creator. He "looketh on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). He says that His grace is sufficient. Our strength, He says, is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
If you are afraid, don't let your fear hold you back. Reach for the zipper and the buttons holding your costume on, even if you fumble and make mistakes. Ask for help if you need to. He will be there, as he has promised, to "guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought... you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters fail not." (Isaiah 58:11)
The world today is full of people wearing costumes. They don't all look the same, but they are there. All the costumes covering up our fears and doubts and disappointments. But underneath the costumes we all are people.
So take off your gorilla suit. Lay aside the mask. Share who you are, who you really are, with those around you. Be the person you were created to be, blossom into the beauty of trusting God with your costume and with your fears. He's waiting.
No comments:
Post a Comment