The Sky Is Falling!

Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

(Luke 12:32). 

Chicken Little was in the woods one day when an acorn fell on her head. It scared her so much she trembled all over. She shook so hard, half of her feathers fell out. “Help! Help!” she cried. “The sky is falling! I must go tell the king!” 

As she ran down the road toward the palace, she met Henny Penny. “Where are you going, Chicken Little?” she asked. “The sky is falling!” Chicken Little cried. “How do you know?” asked Henny Penny. “I saw it with my own eyes, and heard it with my own ears, and part of it fell on my head!” “This is terrible, just terrible!” Henny Penny clucked. “We’d better run.” So, they both ran off as fast as they could.

Soon they met Ducky Lucky. “Where are you going, Chicken Little and Henny Penny?” he asked. “The sky is falling! We’re going to tell the king!” they cried. “How do you know?” asked Ducky Lucky.  “I saw it with my own eyes, and heard it with my own ears, and part of it fell on my head,” Chicken Little said. “Oh dear, oh dear!” Ducky Lucky quacked. “We’d better run!” So, they all ran down the road as fast as they could.

Chicken Little, Henny Penny, and Ducky Lucky soon met up with Goosey Loosey and Turkey Lurkey, who also joined them on their mission. They ran with all their might until they met Foxy Loxy. “Well, well,” said Foxy Loxy. “Where are you running on such a fine day?” “Help! Help!” they cried in unison. “It’s not a fine day at all. The sky is falling, and we are running to tell the king!” “Follow me,” said Foxy Loxy. “I’ll show you the way.” So, Foxy Loxy led Chicken Little, Henny Penny, Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey, and Turkey Lurkey across a field and through the woods and right to his house – where he ate them all for dinner! 1

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It’s, Election Day in the United States and somehow the story of Chicken Little seems strangely appropriate. Many people, including many Christians, got out of bed this morning in various stages of panic and dismay. Politicians, media elites, talk radio, friends, and family members have been warning us for months that if this election goes the wrong way, the economy will crash, our children will have no future, the polar icecap will melt, the Antichrist will appear, and civilization will come to an end. We need stories like Chicken Little to warn us about the dangers of irrational fear, emotionalism, and mass hysteria. But we need the Word of God if we want to find sure guidance for how to maintain our faith in a world where everyone seems to believe the sky is falling. 

When it comes to politics, Jesus was surprisingly savvy. He was smart as a snake while remaining innocent as a dove (see Matt. 10:16). Learning how Jesus responded to the realities of Near Eastern politics of the first century can help us better navigate the labyrinthine political complexities of our day.  

Jesus knew the difference between healthy and unhealthy fear.

The Bible warns us not to be controlled by our fears, as was Chicken Little. But it also tells us that there is indeed a place for healthy fear, especially when we think the sky is falling. Jesus put it like this: “Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill you. They can only kill the body; they cannot do any more to you. But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill people and then throw them into hell.” (Lk. 12:4-5 NLT).  

Jesus was not seduced or sidetracked by political power. 

We must never forget that one of Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness was power, political power (see Matt. 4:8-10). It is sobering to consider that Jesus was genuinely attracted to the allure of thinking that God’s work could be done man’s way. Thanks be to God, he saw the demonic nature of the temptation and spoke a definitive “Be gone, Satan!”.

Jesus always showed love and respect toward his enemies.

Although Jesus did not hesitate to speak truth to power and expose hypocrisy and injustice in high places, he always showed respect and even love toward his enemies. In contrast to the venomous rhetoric, name-calling, and divisive attitudes of many ‘Christians’ in politics today, Jesus refused to act like a dragon even when he was fighting one! 

Jesus invited a right-winger and a left-winger to join his apostolic team.

It is staggering to realize that Jesus included both Matthew and Simon in his apostolic band. These rascals represented the extremist positions of the contemporary political spectrum. As a tax collector, Matthew would have promoted collaborating with Rome, while Simon the Zealot belonged to a movement that preached revolution against Rome. As they learned to seek first the kingdom of God, these rivals learned how to love one another and live in harmony, knowing that their political differences were transcended in Jesus Christ.  

Jesus offered an alternative.

For Jews living in the first century, there were basically four political options: the Pharisees (conservatism), the Sadducees (liberalism), the Zealots (revolution), and the Essenes (isolationism). Jesus chose none of these options; not because they were too radical, but because they weren’t radical enough! Instead, he offered something new, an alternative way to think and to live. “The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand,” he said (Mk. 1:15). The gospel Jesus preached was political without being partisan. The kingdom Jesus proclaimed was profoundly counter-cultural, unlike anything anyone had ever imagined!  

May the Lord help us all to imitate Jesus’ example!

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1 Adapted from “Chicken Little” in The Book of Virtues (Simon & Schuster, 1993) by William J. Bennett, 443-444.

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