Refugees

Refugees

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8

During World War II, refugees from occupied France used many varied and devious devices in order to escape from their captured country. One such man threw himself on the mercy of the proprietor of a small traveling menagerie.

“Please, sir, take me with you, I beg of you!” pleaded the refugee.

“I will try to help you, but I’m afraid to disguise you as a simple employee,” said the proprietor. “You might be discovered too easily.”

“Surely you can think of some way to hide me from the authorities so I can get out of the country,” begged the man.

“Well, it happens that our gorilla died a little more than a week ago, and we preserved his hide, thinking that we might recoup the loss by having it stuffed someday. If you want to put it on, you can travel with us in the cage. The authorities will certainly not think to look for you there. If they do, just growl and act like a crazed gorilla.”

Faced by his desperate need, the refugee did so. Whenever the menagerie was on exhibition, he put on as good a gorilla show as he could manage, trying to pay his debt of gratitude to the proprietor.

One night when no one was around, he was horror struck to discover that the bars between his own cage and the adjoining one had become loose. One of the bars had fallen completely out, and through the opening came his neighbor—the lion! As the animal slunk toward him, the “gorilla” cringed in the corner and began to cry, “Help! Help!”

“Be quiet, you fool!” growled the lion. “You aren’t the only refugee here.”

O Lord, our Protector, please protect us from the wiles of the devil, who wants to destroy us. We place ourselves in your hands and pray for your constant care and love. Amen.