Eaters of the dead

One of the eeriest sights I’ve ever witnessed occurred on our property years ago. As my husband and I began our daily routine of feeding and watering the animals, we spotted some movement above us. When we stopped to take a better look at the sky we were shocked to see about 100 buzzards circling slowly over our field. Buzzards are a familiar sight in the country; however, seeing such a large number in one spot was like a neon sign of death we couldn't ignore. So we immediately began to look for a dead animal. We walked every inch of our property without finding anything resembling buzzard food.

I couldn’t resist asking my husband at this point if he was feeling alright. As we laughed about the possibility that one of us might be the object of the buzzards’ attention, something strange happened. One of our baby lambs suddenly went into convulsions. Without showing any previous signs of sickness, it was dead within two hours.

It’s common knowledge that vultures survive on dead and rotting flesh. The mystery here was why they were gathering above an animal that was still romping around in the field. How did they know he was going to die? I had to try finding the answer to this question and so I began researching information on buzzards and discovered some interesting facts I'd like to share.

The scientific name for black vulture is cathartes atratus meaning “a purifier dressed in mourning; as for a funeral”. What an image that gave me! These birds that are ever-ready eaters of the dead! They sight-see from a good vantage point until the potential meal is spotted; by finding warm currents of air that rise off the ground, they are able to glide effortlessly while scouting the ground below. When one bird is seen riding a thermal, others soon join in. These scavengers are equipped with a keen sense of sight and smell which enable them to recognize an easy mark. Together they circle above an unprotected creature that is too weak to stand on its own, and patiently wait for the animal to die.


How many of you know that there is something to be learned in everything we experience? How many of you also know that God speaks to us in different ways? I wondered if in this weird happening He had something to say so I meditated on what I'd read and what we'd seen and came up with these conclusions:

• Things are not always as they appear. For instance, fatal illness is not always noticeable by someone’s outward appearance. We can easily overlook the indirect signs of death by assuming that illness will always be obvious. In reality, the human body is attacked by a variety of unseen things that can, and often do, kill.

• The fact that something is not visible doesn’t make it any less real.

• There is more to us (humans) than meets the eye. That is, what you see of you is not all there is of you. Only one-third of you is visible.

• Our soul (which is composed of our mind, will and emotions), and our spirit are invisible; our soul and spirit are temporarily housed in a physical body.

• Our mind is attacked by unseen things.

• Spiritual attacks are most effective against those who are weak.
• Spiritual strength, like physical strength, is expended and must be renewed regularly. Those who do not receive regular sustenance become weak and may die.

• Signs of impending death are evident to those who know what to look for.


The bottom line is this: There are unseen buzzards circling above us every day. And they are searching for easy prey. They can smell impending death and quickly follow the scent. These scavengers are always dressed and ready to attack those who are too weak to fight. If we could see the eaters of the dead hovering overhead, we would begin a thorough search for whatever may be dying in us. I doubt if we would ignore the true state of our spiritual life then. We would take notice of bad attitudes and wrong behavior; making changes as quickly as we can. We would be eager to do whatever we should to get back in line with what is right.


There are people who choose not to think about these things. Many people choose not to believe in them at all. Nevertheless, the Bible warns us about evil forces that are waiting to devour us. The book of Ephesians clearly states that we are in a battle against powerful and unseen forces that are out to destroy as many of us as they can. It would be wise to study our enemies and their strategies so that we can fight effectively against them. It would also be to our benefit to know ourselves at least as well as they know us.


“Each of us had better tremble and turn from our wrongdoing; silently searching our hearts as we lie in bed.” Psalm 4:4

God keep you safe till next time...

love, eloise

Friend me @loveeloise and visit www.loveeloise.com