PASTOR’S COLUMN (Oct. 3, 2010)

Growing up in Roswell, NM, my summers were filled with dragonflies—jillions of dragonflies everywhere a kid went. I assumed every town in America had dragonflies, but later learned this is not the case. I have seen a few in the Twin Cities, but nothing like in my hometown.

Dragonflies are unusual in appearance, somewhat out-of-this-world. Many people think that dragonflies are proof positive that aliens landed in Roswell in 1947. Aliens kept them as pets on their interplanetary journey, and after they colonized Roswell would take dragonflies for late-afternoon walks/buzzes on leashes with little collars.

Another theory is that the prevalence of dragonflies has something to do with Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, 7 miles east of Roswell. But again, many people think that Bitter Lake is proof positive that aliens landed in Roswell in 1947. It is a strange place, much like the aliens’ home planet, Blspida. (I learned long ago that it is no place to fill up a canteen.) Tours of Bitter Lake Refuge are now included during Roswell’s annual Dragonfly Festival, which was held a few weeks ago. Thousands of visitors showed up to learn about Roswell’s almost 100 species of dragonflies. They also may have visited Roswell’s two UFO museums.


Actually, some of these dragonflies are damselflies. It is hard to tell the difference, but we boys had to learn the difference growing up. Why? Because the mannerly thing to do was tip our caps to damselflies. (We’d just high-five dragonflies.)

Mannerly people are certainly different today. They look like other people, but the way they act and speak gives them away. Oftentimes mannerly people are followers of Christ, who when compared to the ways of the world, behave in an alien manner. (Alien in this sense has nothing to do with Roswell.)

1 Peter 2:11,12 puts it like this:
Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul. Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge.