This blog post was written in Thailand, but was never posted! Please enjoy.
The other day we visited Tiger Kingdom. Tiger Kingdom: the place where you can get in the cage with the tigers and pet them, hold them, lay on them, take pictures with them. I mean, are you kidding me? I knew on the race there would be adventure, but now you’re telling me that I can not only pet a tiger, I can cuddle with it??? Sign me up.
You are warned; you have to sign a waiver to release them of liability (you know, in case you get mauled or something) and instructed on how to approach the tiger, what not to do, etc. And yet, with all of the trainers and other people around, it is easy to forget about the danger, to feel comfortable and invincible. Easy to forget that this lazy kitty is literally four-times my body-weight. And I’m not sure what the jaw strenth of a 200kg tiger is, but I’m pretty sure it could break any bone in my body easily.
How often are we lulled into a false sense of security when we see others having a good time? We say to ourselves, “I know they said it’s dangerous, but he’s so docile! Surely it’s fine. Besides, this tiger and I are buddies! He knows I just want to be his friend! He wants to be my friend, too! He wouldn’t hurt me!”
Satan often works this way. He often comes quietly with a host of people who make it feel okay and safe. “People do this all the time. Everyone is fine. There is no or little danger,” we say to ourselves. “This sin is harmless. I’m not hurting anyone. It’s not that big of a deal.” But unlike Tiger Kingdom, there is not even a relatively-safe way to do it. To enter his territory is to ask to be mauled.
He is a tiger. A lion. It is NOT safe to play around.
