We suspect there may be some skepticism generated by our page 3 photo spread on the blessing of animals at a Burnaby church.
Does God really part the clouds, look down on a wee brick structure on Royal Oak Avenue in this particular city on earth and hear a kind minister’s words about the four-legged companions his parishioners brought to him for blessing?
But perhaps that isn’t even the point of it all. Perhaps it’s but an excuse to take a moment to notice how we share this planet with some of the most interesting, and, yes, even companionable animals. Whether we thank God for creating them, or merely thank them for being, at least we’re grateful for them. In either case, we think it’s at the very least a sweet service and, at the most, a noble one.
The Bible says: “God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good. Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’”
Some have taken it to mean that human beings “rule” over Earth’s creatures as some sort of God-given right to use animals as we want to. Others have taken it to mean that we are responsible for maintaining and protecting “every creeping thing.”
If God’s expectations for us were to be good caretakers of other living things, we’re failing. There are fewer species on Earth every year. Our impact on the environment is not good, to say the least. And then there are the “human beings” who hunt animals just for the thrill of it. We’re pretty sure God didn’t intend a wealthy hunter in khakis to be killing rhinos for the fun of it.
As science uncovers more and more about the creatures we share this planet with, we are finding out that they are complex creatures. Many with intelligent, meaningful behaviour that contradicts the oft-repeated phrase “dumb animals.” These are creatures that communicate with each other, create songs for each other, adopt the young of other animals, act as therapists for humans, and do so much more.
Whether you believe in God or not, you can’t help but look with wonder at the creatures we share this planet with, feel concern for their future – and, better yet, want to do your part to help them.
