A sheriff’s corporal in St. Johns County, Florida, responded to what sounded like a routine call: an animal loose on a county road. After 25 years on the job, he had handled horses, cows, pigs, goats, even turkeys. This one, he assumed, would be no different. The animal was an emu.
The corporal admitted he underestimated the situation. Agricultural deputies usually handle escaped livestock, but they were unavailable. “I figured I can handle something like this oversized turkey,” he said. Instead, he found himself in a 45-minute chase with a bird named Tina.
Body-camera footage shows the emu calmly strolling down the road as the corporal tries to coax her closer. At first, his voice is upbeat. As the minutes pass, his sighs grow heavier. When he finally gets his hands on Tina, she breaks free and runs again. Emus can’t fly, but they are fast, powerful, and capable of serious damage with their legs. Tina tore holes in his uniform and forced him to improvise.
Eventually, the corporal put handcuffs on the emu’s legs to stop her from kicking. Only when Tina’s owner arrived did the chase end. The bird immediately calmed down, accepted food, and became gentle again.
The corporal later reflected that he thought he knew what he was dealing with, but all his experience had not prepared him for and emu chase.
Preaching Angles:
So many things in the Christian life–serving, discipleship, obedience, loving others–are like chasing an emu. They are way more challenging than we ever imagined.
