The dung beetle, the scarab, is a
symbol of sacred significance in Ancient Egypt. The scarab, spiritually, is
liken to the sun god Ra. The ancient Egyptians believed the sun god Ra rolls
over the sky twenty four hours reviving bodies and souls. Similarly, the dung
beetle rolls dung into a ball as hatchery and food for its larvae. The dung
beetle lays its egg into the dung when the egg hatches the larvae produced is
already surrounded by food which is the dung. The larvae then feeds on readily
available food (dung) rolled by the dung beetle. The Egyptians believed the
Egyptian god Khepri energizes the sun every day before it rolls over the Earth.
The dung beetle therefore became a symbol of cosmic cycle, and rebirth and
regeneration.
In rolling up cattle dung, the dung beetle though a relatively
small organism, plays a critically important role in keeping the natural
environment in balance. In that it clears the mess, so to speak, created by the
cattle, feeds on the dung releasing nutrients into the soil, and thereby
maintaining soil balance. The dung beetle feeds wholly or partly
on dung. The dung beetle is of the Scarabaeidae family of beetles. Growing up I
have seen the insect rolling something but I did not know it was dung.
The dung beetle, made an animal, a
relatively small one at that, by the functions assigned it in the natural
environment, and by performing the functions as such, was elevated to god
status by the Ancient Egyptians. The functions of gods were liken to the
functions of a little animal by humans. They may be looking at it from a
mythical point of view then. But then the little animal by the performance of the
functions assigned it by nature, was and is playing an important role towards
the sustenance of a clean and balanced natural environment.
What about you, man, created in the
image of God (Christian world view)? What are you doing towards the sustenance
of the natural environment? A responsibility placed on your shoulders by God.
Are you living up to that responsibility?
If the dung beetle, an animal, in
living up to its responsibility in the scheme of things in nature was given god
status, must you a man made in the image of God go about littering the natural environment?
Ought not
man to be learning from the little dung beetle?
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