Good afternoon. The first item of business this afternoon is time for reflection. Our time for reflection leader today is Ms Lorraine Cole, lieutenant, the Salvation Army, Fauldhouse.
It was decided that wolves would be reintroduced into Yellowstone national park in an attempt to control the number of deer that were grazing their way through much of the vegetation there. The wolves did their job and killed a number of deer but, more importantly, their presence in the park brought about a change in the behaviour of the deer, which moved away from the more exposed areas of the park. As the deer moved away, the vegetation regrew, which resulted in birds arriving to build nests in the trees. The number of beavers also increased, because they now had more trees to eat and to build their dams with. In turn, otters, muskrats, fish, ducks, amphibians and reptiles came to build their homes in the dams.
The wolves killed not only deer but coyotes, which meant that the rodent population increased, bringing hawks, weasels, foxes, badgers and bald eagles into the area, enticed by a plentiful food supply. Bears also came to feed on the carrion left behind by the wolves and on the berries on the new vegetation.
The effect of the wolves went even further than that, however—it actually changed the behaviour of the rivers. The new vegetation stabilised the banks of the rivers and there was less soil erosion, meaning less flooding and new courses for the rivers.
Who would have thought that a small number of wolves could make such a huge, wide-ranging change to not just the ecology but the geography of Yellowstone national park?
In this chamber this afternoon, I guess that we all have different religious and political beliefs, but I would say that the majority of us are here because we want to make a difference. We want to bring about change both in the lives of individuals and in wider society, and I believe that Jesus came to spend a short time on earth with that objective too.
The best gift that the wolves gave to Yellowstone national park was simply to be authentic wolves. The best gift that we can give to the people we serve is the gift of being the person that God intended us to be—the gift of ourselves. I pray for you that God will give you all strength and wisdom today as you go about your daily business. Amen.