When I woke up this morning, I noticed a red fox cautiously walking through the farm as he practiced social distancing (chuckle). He was very much aware of his surroundings as he moved his head from right to left. It was as if he knew that we were in a pandemic, for that is how careful he was in his travels. 

If you have been attentive to the news in the metropolitan area, you would know that the fox has gotten quite a bit of notoriety. Foxes have made the front page of a local newspaper and dominated the local television channels on at least two recent occasions. It aired even before the media talked about the war in Ukraine.  

Just a day ago it was reported that a fox or foxes had killed 25 flamingos and one duck at the Smithsonian National Zoo.  Employees of the zoo and persons who were interviewed were heartbroken and devastated about what had happened. The latest report revealed that the fox is still on the loose as if he has the virus, and it must be caught and treated.  If you know anything about raising chickens on a farm, then you know that a fox getting into your hen house is an economic disaster.

Just a few weeks ago there were sightings of foxes on Capitol Hill. The same place the insurrection took place on January 6, 2021. Maybe the fox felt that he could get away for invading Capitol Hill just like the insurrectionist did. Well, he decided to do damage just as harm was done to the Capitol. The fox took it upon himself to bite a few people. The fox could have possibly gone unnoticed and unbothered if he had not started biting folk. It was later determined that the fox was rabid, meaning it had rabies. The foxes created a scare just as the insurrectionist did, but unlike some of the insurrectionist, they did not get away with the damage done.

As we see in the Bible, the fox was a menace, for Song of Solomon 2:15 says, “Catch for us the foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.” Even Solomon readers thought foxes to be destructive animals that destroyed or did damage to the vineyards. What is amazing is the fact that in the middle of a biblical love story, the fox becomes the topic of conversation.

If we know anything about a fox, we know that they are crafty, cunning and use underhanded tactics to accomplish their missions.

In the New Testament, Jesus calls Herod a fox. Jesus said in Luke 13:32, “Go tell that fox I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.” Jesus knew that Herod was known as a crafty man who attempted to keep the gospel from advancing.

Furthermore, Herod was an unrighteous and unscrupulous man that was unfit to be ruler. Case and point, Jesus knew Herod was a fox, therefore He knew how to work around Him. 

There are occasions when we refer to humans as a fox. If we refer to a woman as being foxy, we mean that she is physically and sexually attractive. The word foxy is further used to describe someone who is deceitful in a clever and secretive manner.       

Let’s concentrate on the second use of the word fox, one who is deceitful. Over the last several years, it appears that violence, trickery, deceitfulness, craftiness, etc. are on the forefront. There are reports of people beginning to take what they want rather than working for it or asking for it. Con artists are lurking in almost every aspect of society. The question becomes, “Have we developed a fox mentality and attitude that is causing undue stress, fear and anxiety?”  

When we grew up in the country, we used to hear people refer to persons being “sly as a fox” which meant that the person was very crafty or dishonest. We were advised and taught to beware of the foxes because they would use any means necessary to get what they wanted. They will lie, steal, cheat, exaggerate, operate underhandedly, use unconventional tactics, etc. without giving thought to the harm being done. In some cases, fox techniques have been used so often that persons can no longer distinguish between what is right and what is wrong.

It appears that even in politics, one fox is always trying to outsmart the other fox. Beware my brothers and sisters, the fox mentality is on the loose. If you are still getting those telemarketing calls, it is a sign that the fox knows how to use the telephone. Be careful and stay safe!

Not a sermon, just my thoughts!

Robert Earl Slade, Pastor