September 28, 2010 - Psalm 36: 5,6 - Animals

"Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your judgments are like the great deep;
you save humans and animals alike, O Lord."

This Sunday is the blessing of the animals at church. I will bring both my dogs. I love this passage, and even though scholars may disagree with its meaning, I take it to mean that God saves animals too.

Yes, I believe animals have souls. How can I look into Jasper's eyes and think there is no soul there? How can I look at Valentino's sweet little face in the morning and believe there is no soul there? No, anyone who has loved an animal, I think, will agree with me. People have people souls. Dogs have dog souls. Cats have cat souls. I don't know...maybe cockroaches have cockroach souls (but I have to wonder about that). I believe that any living creature that God made has a spark of the Divine in them. Every living creature. Man, in our selfish ego, somehow think God belongs to us alone. Does it not make more sense to value each life God created, and not just our own?

I've had many a conversation about whether or not animals go to Heaven. My usual answer is, "Of course! It wouldn't be Heaven without them!" If we believe that our human loved ones are now well and strong and healthy once again in Heaven, why is it such a stretch to believe that the same goes for our non-human loved ones?

Gandhi said:

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way in which its animals are treated.

I hold that the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man.

If you'll allow me a little soap-box time - millions and millions of creatures that God has created are killed each year by the foolishness of man in allowing rampant birth of kittens and puppies that are simply destined for a life of misery before they are killed at some shelter that doesn't have room for them. People who say they want their children to experience the miracle of birth, then need to take them to the local shelter so they can experience the miracle of death as well. If you have a pet that hasn't been spayed or neutered, then do it. It's part of being a responsible pet owner. It is cruel and a great sin to allow a life to be brought into the world if you have no intention of caring for the life God has given you.

So, yes, God saves humans and animals alike, but in this matter He needs our help.

Blessings, Phoenix