A lesson in caring
by David Sellnow
There is a saying (stemming from a 1989 animated film): All dogs go to heaven. Or, all pets go to heaven (from a popular author’s 2009 book). Martin Luther once wrote a letter to his young son in which he described heaven as a “beautiful garden, where children sing, jump, and rejoice all day long” and “have pretty ponies with golden reins and silver saddles.” I’d like to think the life beyond will be blessed with many beloved creatures … but I don’t try to answer complicated questions about the afterlife. I trust the good Lord will reveal what the life after this is like when he brings us there. The realities of what lies beyond are things we could not fully understand here and now. “Now we see only a dim likeness of things. It is as if we were seeing them in a foggy mirror. But someday we will see clearly” (1 Corinthians 13:12 NIrV).
I do know that in our lives now, the animals who keep us company are dear blessings. In my household we’re missing our dear Zazu, our pet poodle, who passed away on Christmas Day. Zazu was my officemate in the home office. The rhythms of my remote workday tended to be arranged according to his schedule as much as mine. Morning break, lunch break, and afternoon break were times to go for a walk. Or they were, until walking became harder and harder for him. Then winter came, and his days became harder still. Anti-inflammatory medications, blood pressure medications, and pain medications helped some. As his strength waned, Zazu became increasingly anxious, and wanted to be close by my side at all times. It was hard to lose him—as it was to say goodbye to the dear dogs we had in years past (like Mowgli, who had been Zazu’s close companion until a couple years ago).
Zazu taught me much about life as the ailments of age caught up with him. He needed more attention, more care, more patience and love. We all have those needs as we get older and more frail. An ethicist once said, “When a dog has served his master faithfully for a long time, I must give the appropriate reward, and look after the dog, when he is incapable of serving me any longer, until he ends his days. In so doing, I further my duty toward humanity” (Kant, Lectures on Ethics, in Western Philosophy: An Anthology [J.Cottingham, ed.], 1996).
There is a lesson for us in the analogy of loving and caring for pets and loving and caring for people. As author Jonathan Safran Foer has said, “People who care about animals tend to care about people. They don’t care about animals to the exclusion of people. Caring is not a finite resource and, even more than that, it’s like a muscle: the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets.”
We have an obligation to each other in this world. We are called to a lifetime of caring. We can’t claim to be Christian people and ignore the needs of those around us. We care for one another within our households, knowing that “whoever does not provide for relatives, and especially for family members, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8). We care for neighbors in need, heeding Scripture’s admonition: “If someone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but refuses to help—how can the love of God dwell in a person like that” (1 John 3:17 CEB)? We pray for ourselves, “O Lord, do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength is spent” (Psalm 71:9). We will be dependent on others to care for us when we can’t care for ourselves.
Take good care of the pets in your life; they depend entirely on you. And let us be good caregivers to the people in our lives too, who need our love and attention. We are not in this life just for ourselves, to fend for ourselves. Consider these scriptures on our call to consistently care for one another:
- “Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience”(Colossians 3:12)
- “In humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3,4).
- “Hold fast to what is good; Love one another with mutual affection” (Romans 12:9,10).
- “Maintain constant love for one another. … Be hospitable to one another. … Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received” (1 Peter 4:8-10).
- “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).
Scripture quotations, except where otherwise indicated, are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Additional quotations from:
- New International Reader’s Version (NIrV) Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.
- The Common English Bible (CEB), copyright © 2011
Rabbits have taken up residence in our gardens. I don’t mind. Yes, they eat the tender tops off some of the plants … but we protect the ones we want to protect, and we can share the others. On occasions, deer have treated themselves to hostas and lilies in our yard, and that’s okay too. Visits from wildlife are joyful intrusions into our residential space. Well … not all wildlife. Even Saint Francis of Assisi (1181-1226), famous for his warm regard for all creatures, regarded mice and vermin as “agents of the devil.”
We lost a precious animal friend in our household recently. His personality was always that of a puppy, even when he was past ten years old. But then he fell ill, and it hurt to see him hurt. When all the efforts at veterinary intervention failed to remedy his ills, it hurt even more (for him and for us). We sorely miss him. We are reminded of how blessed we were to have him as a part of our family. I’m sure others of you feel the same way about your beloved pets.