Scarecrow

I have incredibly vivid memories of going to visit relatives in the bayou country of Louisiana. Life was large when we went to the country.  My black and white view of life turned into technicolor when I sat on the porch with Uncle Chester, Aunt Annie and the rest of the family.


Pulling off the black top, it was like walking into a whole different world when we arrived at the big house along the dusty road.


There was a huge garden, there were chickens running wild in the yard, there were empty Prince Albert cans of tobacco strewn in the front yard and there was a huge kitchen.


After getting settled in and exchanging pleasantries I waited for the invitation to go out into the garden to collect vegetables for the noon meal. It felt like I was walking in Cheneyville, Louisiana's version of the Garden of Eden. On a side note, there were always two less chickens in the yard after we left. We sorta took a part of them with us if you know what I mean.


The meal was incredible...it was plenteous and tasty. I can still remember the smells, tastes and joy of sitting around the large table.


Now all of these memories may not have unfolded exactly as I have remembered, but to the best of my memory that is the way it was.


One thing about the garden was that it had a scarecrow. Not just your Wizard of Oz variety of scarecrow. This was a scarecrow intended to frighten would be scavengers dropping by for a vegetable buffet. Not only did it frighten birds, but it was very frightening to a young kid unaccustomed to things like that.


Who makes scarecrows anymore?  Probably they are a thing of the past. There is not really a big market for scarecrows these days.


Jeremiah writing in the tenth chapter uses a "scarecrow metaphor."

"Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, 

their idols cannot speak; they 

must be carried because they cannot walk." v. 16.

Look for yourself, this scripture is in an obscure section of the book of Jeremiah. Some say the scriptures before verse 16 have been used by people of faith to resist the urge to buy Christmas trees, but I my mind is not on that aspect.

"Scarecrows in a cucumber field" is one thing, but "idols cannot speak" is another. Jeremiah speaks of "idols that must be carried because they cannot walk."


All of this is very interesting to me this morning. It makes me wonder if some of the things we worship (idols) are like a "scarecrow in a cucumber field." It causes me to stop and think. 


If only the birds circling my Aunt Annies garden realized that although the scarecrow looked scary, it had no ability to hurt, harm or hinder the birds from gathering to feast on the cucumbers, corn and snap peas.

I am not sure what all of this means, however have you ever felt like a scarecrow in a cucumber field?