A Simian Shakespeare Theatre?

Romans 1:20
“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.”

You may never see a troop of monkeys traveling from city to city to perform Shakespeare, but some researchers now believe that monkeys do, indeed, develop culture. This unexpected discovery does not support evolution. Rather, it shows how the creation itself reflects the nature of our Creator. God’s very act of creation was an application of His knowledge to impress order on the creation. But human beings are not the only creatures who likewise use knowledge to increase order and make life easier. When such knowledge and order is passed on to the next generation, you have what we call culture.
    
Researchers studied the scientific literature on four populations of African chimps. Their study revealed that these chimp populations do, indeed, pass knowledge on to their children. For example, one population eats soldier ants by holding a stick near the entrance to the nest. Once the stick is filled with ants, they sweep the stick clean with their lips. At another preserve, the chimps collect the ants the same way, but then sweep the stick clean with their fingers.

Researchers have even seen mother chimps teaching their children certain skills. They have seen mother chimps leave nuts and stone “hammers” near rocks that could be used as anvils to teach their children how to open nuts. One mother even did a slow motion demonstration of nut cracking for her child. No, it’s not the ability to pass on information that makes us unique. It’s God’s special love for us in sending His Son to save us!

Prayer:
Dear Father, we thank You for Your love for us in making Yourself evident in the creation. Help us witness Your love, too. Amen.

Notes:
B. Bower, “Chimps may put their own spin on culture,” Science News, v. 154, December 12, 1998, p. 374. Photo: Courtesy of SteveHDC. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.