Not of this world

I gave them your message, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I do not ask you to take them out of the world, but I do ask you to keep them safe from the Evil One. Just as I do not belong to the world, they do not belong to the world. Dedicate them to yourself by means of the truth; your word is truth. I sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world.  –John 17:14-18 (GNT)
 
I saw a factoid about whales this week that made me curious. A video I watched stated that after years of tagging and monitoring the movements and life cycles of these majestic creatures, scientists had learned that most whales die due to drowning. After some digging, I discovered that to be in the neighborhood of accurate. While a fair percentage of whales die of disease (larger breeds) or predation (smaller breeds), many indeed die of old age with a lifespan of 70-90 years. Technically speaking, those that die of old age don’t usually drown, but suffocate. Drowning would happen if the whale breathed in water, thus filling their lungs with it, while suffocation occurs when the whale’s body uses up the oxygen in its lungs and is unable to make it to the surface to take another breath. The inability of an old whale to breach may be due to weight loss (the blubber keeps them buoyant) or lack of strength.
 
I appeal to you, my friends, as strangers and refugees in this world! Do not give in to bodily passions, which are always at war against the soul. Your conduct among the heathen should be so good that when they accuse you of being evildoers, they will have to recognize your good deeds and so praise God on the Day of his coming.  –1 Peter 2:11-12 (GNT)
 
The difference between drowning and suffocation in this case doesn’t negate the observation of a truth that has spiritual application. The whale is born into a world that is essentially hostile to its ability to sustain life. It travels with fish, but it isn’t a fish. Though some whales can dive to depths of more than a mile and survive for over an hour on a single breath, they all have to eventually make their way to the surface to breathe. They are in the sea, but not of the sea. They need air. Without it, they cannot live.
 
…so that you may be innocent and pure as God's perfect children, who live in a world of corrupt and sinful people. You must shine among them like stars lighting up the sky, as you offer them the message of life.  –Philippians 2:15-16a (GNT)
 
Similarly, we are born into a fallen world that challenges our spiritual survival. We live and move in this world, but without rising to the surface to get a dose of “oxygen” from above, we too are in danger of being suffocated by the environment that surrounds us. Jesus said it this way: We are in the world, but not of the world. And He identified the truth of God as the life source we need to keep returning to. If we’re feeling a little short of breath, maybe it’s time to swim toward the light.