Imprinting

In late March 2008, the major news networks picked up a human interest story from Muenster, Germany. In early May 2006, Petra, a black swan, flew into Aasee pond and shortly afterwards fell in love with a white swan paddle boat five times her size. She was fiercely protective of her "mate" and would chase off other boaters who came too near to her beloved. It was determined that the best thing for Petra was to move her and her "mate" to a pond in a nearby zoo. When Petra was courted by a white male swan, she abandoned the boat, and the plan seemed to be a success . So, the swan paddle boat was returned to its owner. Then one day the white swan flew off with another mate. Petra mourned the loss so much that arrangements were made to return the paddle boat to her.

Petra had imprinted on a huge plastic swan. "When an animal learns something very fast because a certain event occurring at the right time manages to trigger the learning process, it's called imprinting" (http://www.backyardnature.net/birdprnt.htm). The imprint had caused Petra to behave in ways that are not intended for swans to behave. Some of her behaviors were very swanlike, but her attachment to the swan paddle boat was not. We do not know why she arrived at the pond, nor what circumstances directly effected her unusual behavior.

What happened in this story is analagous to our spiritual journeys. All of us are created in the image of God, but we have the imprint of the fallen nature of Adam and the multitude of life's experiences that effect us for the better and for worse, too. Things can happen to us "very fast" and at critical times in our young lives that change us. Because of these imprints, we are not able to behave (do) nor be (our essence) as God intended. We may not be aware of why we do what we do. However, to become like God intended us to be, it is necessary to believe in the cleansing power of Christ's shed blood and grow in His grace.