Winged Troops

Acts 10:7
“And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually.”

We have long known that the community within a honeybee hive divides the labor among specialized workers. There are scouts who search for food. Nurses tend the young. Some bees specialized in cleaning. There are even undertaker bees who remove and dispose of dead members of the hive.

Scientists have now discovered that honeybee colonies also have brigades of specialized “soldiers.” These bees often seem to be sitting around, not doing much. In fact, they have only one duty – attack large intruders. It appears that these bees are fed and cared for by the hive members while they wait for the alarm. Should a raccoon, bear or human threaten the hive, thousands of soldier bees swarm around the enemy and sting.

Soldiers have been well-known members of ant and termite colonies. However, up to now, they have never been confirmed in honeybee hives. The universal need for soldiers for protection among social insects reminds us that some things are universal in this world. These soldiers are not responsible for a bear’s attack on the hive. Nor are human soldiers who follow just war principles responsible for human war.

Humanity’s greed and lack of love for others cannot be abolished by getting rid of armies. Rather, greed, theft and the need for protection remind us that we are not what God intended us to be. The solution lies not in denying reality, but in returning to our Creator through the forgiveness of our sins as made possible by Jesus Christ.

Prayer:
Father, I must confess that even as I love You and agree that Your will is good, I still sin. Forgive me for the sake of the innocent suffering and death of Your Son, Jesus Christ. May His goodness, and not my own, always be my assurance of Your love. Amen.

Author: Paul A. Bartz

REF: Soldiers swarm to rescue. The Argus (Fremont, CA), Mar. 17, 1991.  Photo: Honey bees by Polly Dot – Pixabay

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