Sermon Illustrations
‘Chameleon’ Plant Discovered in Chile is a Lot like the Church
Scientists in Chile have discovered a fascinating new plant with properties hitherto unknown to science. While many animals are experts at mimicry and camouflage, plants have never been observed to change their appearance—beyond just imitating a single other species—as a survival tactic. But one "chameleon" vine does just that, able to mimic several other species, changing shape, color, and more to blend in.
Possible Preaching Angle:
Used positively, this story is a beautiful picture of incarnation—keeping identity but changing appearance based on context. The church does this too, right? Our identity is as the redeemed community of Christ, but how we look depends on our environment, culture, and context. Used negatively, it's a picture of conformity—we can't just be ourselves so we have to mimic our environment.