By Xinzhi
One evening, coming home from work, Wang Kai saw his seven-year-old daughter Lanlan, sitting on the sofa and watching TV. Having put down his attache case on the table, suddenly he heard his daughter crying as he was about to take off his shoes. Then quickly changing his shoes, he came over and held his daughter in his arms, asking her with concern, “Why are you crying, Lanlan?” Pointing at the picture on TV, she replied in tears, “The zebra was bitten to death.” Wang Kai looked toward the picture on TV and found that a pride of lions were splitting a dead zebra for food. At this time, Lanlan looking sad, said, “Dad, the zebra was bitten to death by the lions, and it was so sad.”
At this moment, Li Hua, Wang Kai’s wife, came out of the kitchen, looking at both her husband and child on the sofa. Lanlan ran over to her before Li Hua had a chance to speak, shouting, “Mom, the zebra was bitten to death by the lions.” Feeling confused, Li Hua looked at Wang Kai and he pointed at the picture on TV. Looking at the TV, Li Hua understood in her heart what was happening. Then she lifted her daughter onto the sofa, wiping her daughter’s tears away and saying, “Lanlan, you got sad when you saw that the zebra was bitten to death by the lions, didn’t you?” Her daughter nodded and said, “Just now as the lions took a rest, the zebra ate the grass just next to the lions and looked at them from time to time, but why did it not escape?” Her daughter cried once again while speaking. Having wiped her daughter’s tears away, Li Hua comforted her, “Lanlan, don’t cry, and I’ll tell you the reason.” Hearing this, Lanlan wiped her tears away with her own little hands. Her husband, sitting on one side, casually picked up a piece of newspaper to read, without considering joining the conversation between the mother and the daughter. Li Hua said gently to her daughter, “Lanlan, do you know where all kinds of animals come from?” “Mom has said that all kinds of animals are created by God,” answered Lanlan. Touching her daughter’s head, Li Hua said, “Yes, they are created by God. God would prepare food for them after He created all kinds of animals, wouldn’t He?” Blinking her little eyes and nodding her head slightly, Lanlan continued listening to what her mother was saying, “God has created grass as zebras’ food so that they are able to survive by eating grass. Similarly, God has also prepared food for the lions and the zebras are one kind of their food. This is all predestined by God.” After listening to the words of her mother, Lanlan looked at her mother and said, “Mom, I’ve got it. The zebras are food for the lions, and only by eating the zebras can the lions survive, just as Mom cooks meals for me to eat every day so that I can grow up.” Li Hua approvingly scratched her daughter’s nose and said, “Right, what a clever girl you are!” Lanlan smiled happily, but in no time she frowned again and asked, “However, Mom, if the lions keep eating the zebras like this, will the zebras be eaten up?” At this time, Wang Kai, looked back at them after he heard his daughter’s question, expecting in his heart to get the answer from his wife. Hearing her daughter’s inquiry, Li Hua smiled at Lanlan, saying, “Lions eat zebras. Will zebras be eaten up? You are eager to know the answer, aren’t you?” Lanlan nodded and looked at her mother with expectation.
Li Hua stood up and fetched the laptop from the table. She switched on the laptop and then said, “I’ll read a passage of God’s words to you, and you’ll know the answer after hearing it.” Then Lanlan got close to her mother and gazed at the laptop. And then Li Hua began to read, “For example, lions eat zebras, so if the number of lions exceeded the number of zebras, what would the fate of the zebras be? They would become extinct. And if the quantity of reproduction of zebras was far less than that of lions, what would their fate be? They would also become extinct. So, the number of zebras must be far greater than the number of lions. This is because zebras don’t only exist for themselves; they also exist for the lions. You could also say that every zebra is one part of the zebras, but it is also the food in a lion’s mouth. Lions’ speed of reproduction can never outstrip that of the zebras, so their numbers can never be greater than the zebras’ numbers. Only in this way can the lions’ food source be guaranteed. Even though lions are natural enemies of zebras, people frequently see them leisurely resting within the same area. Zebras will never be reduced in number or go extinct because the lions hunt and eat them, and lions will never increase their numbers because of their status as ‘king.’ This balance is something that God established long ago. That is, God established laws of balance between all animals so that they can achieve balance, and this is something that mankind is able to see.” At this moment, Wang Kai, sitting on the sofa, unconsciously was attracted. For seeing that these several words can explain this thing very clearly, he considered these words quite unusual. And putting down the newspaper, he approached his wife and daughter. Looking at her daughter’s speculative eyes, Li Hua said, “Just now Lanlan asked whether the zebras would be eaten up by lions. And the answer is no.” Hearing this, Lanlan cheered, “Oh! That’s good! That’s good! Zebras won’t be eaten up.” Looking at her daughter who was shouting and jumping for joy, Li Hua smiled and turned to Wang Kai, saying, “At the beginning, as God created all things, He gave an accurate amount with regard to the number of all kinds of animals. Lions eats zebras, and this is something predestined by God. But no matter how many zebras the lions eat, the number of zebras can never be less than that of lions, nor will zebras go extinct, because God has established laws of balance among all things.”
Li Hua continued asking Lanlan, “Do you know why God established the laws of balance among all things?” Pondering, suddenly Lanlan looked toward her father asking, “I don’t know, do you know, Dad?” Facing his daughter, who suddenly turned around, Wang Kai was at a loss and said, “Nor do I. Let’s listen to your mom, shall we?” Li Hua looked at her husband and then immediately said to her daughter, “Let’s look for the answer together.” Her daughter nodded, and Li Hua moved the laptop a little nearer to her husband and then began to read, “What is God’s goal in maintaining this kind of balance? This has to do with people’s environments for survival as well as mankind’s survival. If zebras, or any similar prey of a lion—deer or other animals—reproduce too slowly and the number of lions sharply increases, what kind of danger would human beings face? Firstly, the chickens, ducks, geese, and dogs raised by people would become prey for the lions. This is because they live outside, so they would be the lions’ first prey. Are those things enough for the lions to eat? Some households have two pigs. If a lion came down from the mountains and ate them, would it just leave after it was done? It would think: ‘There’s nothing to eat on the mountains, I’ll just stay here. This family has pigs—there will be a few humans now that I’ve eaten them. There’s nothing for the next meal—isn’t it all prepared? The people are just sitting inside—they can’t stay in there forever!’ As soon as the people come out, it will eat them with one snap of its jaws. People have no ability to resist. Wouldn’t this be a tragic thing? Lions eating zebras is a normal phenomenon, but if a lion ate people, it would be a tragedy. … So as God sees it, the balance between all things is crucial for the survival of mankind. Whether they are plants or animals, they cannot lose their proper balance. Plants, animals, mountains, and lakes have prepared for mankind a normal ecological environment. Only when people have this kind of ecological environment—a balanced one—is their survival secure.”
Li Hua said, “God established such laws of balance among all things in order that we humans can survive. Only in such a normal ecological environment, can our survival be guaranteed. God’s wisdom and love are concealed behind such regulations.” Having finished her words, she looked toward her husband. Hearing his wife’s words, Wang Kai felt overwhelmed, “How special these words you read just now are!” Li Hua continued, “All things are created by God, and it is only God who knows the role of each thing among all things; it is only God Himself who can tell us His intention in creating mankind….” At this time, Lanlan interrupted her, “Mom, Mom, I’ve got it. God did this in order to protect us.” Li Hua approvingly said, “Yeah, Lanlan, that’s right!” When Lanlan was praised by her mother, a big smile appeared at the corners of her mouth. Looking at the clock on the laptop, Li Hua urged her daughter to wash hands for dinner. Then she turned toward Wang Kai and he said to her, “Those words you read just now are so special that nobody can tell us of such profound mysteries. I want to read it, too.” Putting the laptop beside her in front of Wang Kai, Li Hua said, “There is nobody except God who can reveal these profound mysteries. You read the words, and I’m gonna serve the meal.”
