Two Emus

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only [Son], who came from the Father, full of grace and truth … Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:14, 16-17, TNIV)

Truth without grace is judgment … grace without truth is license.
Dr. Henry Cloud, Changes That Heal

There are two emus that live in a field that I pass by on my morning walk. Since encountering someone else feeding them bread scraps, I have been bringing my own bread along to feed them. Sometimes they act disinterested as they slowly come up to the fence, and at other times they sprint across the yard towards me, which is thrilling. Their owner told me that they have no names, and I have been considering what to call them, as I enjoy calling out and talking to the various animals that line my walk (horses, dogs, emus, and at various times cats, a buffalo, a goat, pigs, and burros). One emu has a straight beak and is more assertive, the other has a twisted beak and is more shy. I have decided to call the former emu “Truth” and the latter emu “Grace” to remind me of the importance and balance of these two attributes, perfectly embodied in Jesus Christ.