Crocodile Hunter
By Maria Morrow
On September 4th, 2006,
children all across America and throughout the world cried as they heard
the tragic news. The great Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, had been killed--stabbed
through the heart by a graceful, peaceful stingray. My children were no
exception. They had been big fans and had followed Steve’s exciting animal
adventures for years.
The world was in shock as to how it had happened. There had been
only three such deaths by stingrays in recorded history. What would the
chances be of that? Steve had been seemingly invincible. He had gambled
with death a hundred times and lived to tell the tale. He had wrestled with
deadly crocks and handled the most poisonous snakes in the world. He had
been bitten, attacked, and injured more times than he could count. So why
did he die now? Why like this?
It is appointed unto men once to die. (Hebrews 9:27) There is
a time to be born and a time to die. (Ecclesiastes 3:2) When Steve Irwin went scuba diving
that fateful day, he had no idea that this was his appointed time. As
he swam, the sharp spear of the stingray’s barb pierced him through the
heart, like an arrow on a target. Even a few inches in either direction
and he may have lived. Could it really have been an accident?
If you can believe that this amazing world, with millions of times
more intricacy and perfection than the world’s most advanced computers,
could have created itself in a big accidental Bang; then maybe you
can believe that this too was an accident. After all, the whole world is
an accident. Or is it?! It seemed to be too remarkable of a coincidence,
to be a coincidence.
Steve Irwin was a good man--loved by children and admired by adults
around the world. He fought for conservation. He saved countless animals.
He educated and entertained young and old alike. Surely, this was a man
who had done many good things with his life. But in the end, what
really mattered? Where did he stand with God? I honestly know nothing about
his spiritual beliefs. He never shared them publicly on television. Perhaps
he felt bound by secular television policies.
When my son was only six years old, he would pray every night for
Steve Irwin’s salvation.
“Why do you think he’s not saved?” I asked him.
He replied that since Steve didn’t believe God made the world, maybe
he didn’t believe in God. (This may or may not have been the case.)
My husband summed it up in these words. “He worshiped the creation,
but never acknowledged the Creator.” As I thought about it I realized how
true these words were. The Bible tells us that, All things were made
by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was
Life. (John 1:3,4) Thou shalt have no other Gods before me. (Exodus
20:3) --Not even His creation. While Steve did many great and wonderful
things to protect and care for God’s creation, in the end, the most important
question of his life was, did he have a personal relationship with his own
Creator?
When my children cried over his death, it was an empty sorrow. I
could not comfort them as a Christian would, knowing that, “He is in Heaven
now, and we will see him there someday.” I honestly did not know. I hoped.
I prayed for his soul, for I know that when he stands before God, his good
works alone will not save him. There is none righteous, no, not one.
(Romans 3:10) For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. (Romans
3:23)
God is not a cruel God. He loves Steve. He sees the grief his family
and loved ones suffer. He is there to comfort and help them when they call
on Him. God is just and fair. He is full of compassion, gracious and
plenteous in mercy. (Psalms 86:15) He waits with outstretched arms,
to receive all that come to Him.
As we think about Steve, and his last adventure, let us take time
to evaluate our own lives. If this was your appointed time, would
you be ready? Do you know your Creator? You may be able to deny His existence
in your life, but you can not deny His existence in your death. Are you
ready to meet Him?
The preaching of the cross is to them which perish foolishness.
But to us who are saved, it is the power of Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:18)
Even in death, we sorrow not as them that have no hope. (1 Thessalonians
4:13) Our hope is in Christ who conquered death. Will you be glad when He
calls you home? Will He say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.
Enter thou into the joy of the Lord”?
Let us learn something from this tragic incident. Steve was not invincible,
and neither are we. Let us honor Steve’s life of conservation and nature
preservation, by giving due thanks and honor to the God who created it all.
He made not only the world, He made you. He loves you and wants to know
you and be known by you. He created this beautiful world, with all its wonder
and majesty, for you--so that you could see His love and power. From the
powerful crock, to the graceful stingray, all are the works of His hand.
And so are we.