False Accusations

Years ago I would make an annual pilgrimage to one of the continent’s spring birding hotspots. I first started going there while teaching biology at a school about 20 miles to the east of Toronto, Ontario. I continued for each of the next fourteen years after I became a professor of biology at a college in central Massachusetts. I even worked it out so that this week-long trip coincided with the week of field work in a class in ornithology that I taught. Yes, Point Pelee National Park on the northern shore of Lake Ontario was the place to be in early May.

While I have many great memories from the times I was there, one has recently come back to mind. I spent an extended weekend there with a friend who was willing to go birding, but wasn’t what I would call an avid birder. But he was a good companion, and we had a fun time. One day we were working the woods south of the nature center, looking for warblers and vireos. We were just off the trail in some dense second growth that opened up into the lower branches of some larger trees.

I had learned the calls of most all the eastern woodland birds, and did much of my initial bird-finding by ear rather than watching for birds. As we crouched there listening, I heard a ruckus headed our way, up about the level of tree tops. It was a flock of crows, and I knew right away that they were harassing some sort of raptor, possibly a hawk. Then, suddenly, crashing down through the small branches and perching about eight feet from us was a great horned owl. Here was the crows’ sport. Angry, fluffed up, out of breath. The crows quickly spotted my friend and me, and stayed at the tops of the trees. The owl sat where it had landed and glared at us.

Have you ever been falsely accused? The look on the owl’s face seemed to be one that peered into our souls, as if we were responsible for its situation. So intense was the look that I was tempted to respond, telling the owl that we had nothing to do with its plight. While this may have been true, the accusing look could not be ignored. Even our actual innocence could not remove the feeling of condemnation placed upon us.

How do you deal with false accusation? Or, perhaps, is this something you’ve never had to deal with? Most of the disciples had to deal with it at one time or another. If you read the book of Acts, and even some of Paul’s epistles, we find that many times he was badly treated on the basis of false accusations.

Stephen was falsely accused, and stoned.

Most terrible were the false accusations that were hurled at Christ during His trial. The accusations were even contradictory. But those in charge were so determined to be done with Him that they ignored the laws regarding fair trial, and condemned Him anyway. I wonder how they will feel when they have to look into His face when He returns (check out Revelation 1:7). The accusations they will face will not be false. Far better to face false accustions in behalf of our Lord than to face true accusations from Him.

This weekend, Christendom will celebrate His death and resurrection. Keep in mind that even as He promised to die for us, He has promised to return for us. Every eye will see Him. Some will see joy on His face. Some will not.

Have a great weekend.

Dr. G