Brian McLaren: A Tribute to Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, Unlikely ‘Missionary’

From God's Politics blog: Brian McLaren: A Tribute to Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, Unlikely 'Missionary'

Instead of damning the sinful ugliness of humans who lack saving love, he chose a different strategy, a better one, I think: he simply, consistently, passionately, and naively demonstrated saving love by praising the beauty of God’s creatures – confident that he could inspire that saving love in others if they could just see the beauty too. He called himself “a wildlife warrior,” but his only weapons were enthusiasm and love. I think all of us – whatever our mission – could learn a lot from him. (The previous point was understated, but you probably already noticed that.)

In our saving love for children (unborn and born), in our saving love for cities and farmland, in our saving love for justice and peace and the oppressed and the war-ravaged, we have to remember the irreplaceable value of celebrating their beauty with Irwinesque wide eyes and face-breaking smiles.

I don’t recall Steve speaking of God much. But every time he said, “Isn’t that a little beauty!” I think he was speaking for God, the One who notices and loves the smallest goodness of every created thing. The look on his face when he sat with an orangutan or swam with a green sea turtle or let a lizard perch on his finger – that look in itself was a sign and a wonder. Sure, some people think he was over the top, but with millions of other fans, I miss him, and with them, I’m inspired to live life a little – no, a lot – louder and freer because of him … playing my own unique part in the sacred mission of saving love. Rest in peace, Steve-o. Well done.

Amen!