even the animals knew

Not long ago our friend Anna Clark introduced me to Christian author and poet M. Kent Travis.  Kent's blog is worth following in general, but his recent post "Even the Animals Knew" especially grabbed my attention.  Kent acknowledges he's not the biggest "animal person," but his insight is perhaps even more valuable as a result.  I'm grateful to be able to share it here at the beginning of Lent when many Christians are honoring Christ's 40 days in the wilderness ...   

Yesterday was a particularly difficult day for my second daughter.  She was being snippy and unkind to everyone else in the family, even after we explained to her what she was doing.  It was if she couldn't stop herself or didn't even know that she was doing it.

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forty-some days without meat?

With Lent beginning this Wednesday or next Monday for many Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christians, an ever growing number of Protestants and Evangelicals are also looking to honor in some way the ancient Christian period of fasting leading up to Easter.  See, for example, an informative and encouraging review of the practice by Rev. Ken Collins. 

The first two traditions have typically included abstaining from meat in their fasting, though in some cases seafood is permitted, while in other forms of fasting even non-flesh animal products are avoided as well.  But I wonder if many of us who are descendants of the Reformation consider fasting from meat or other animal products in any capacity as a legitimate, even vibrant, way of honoring Lent?  

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wonderbird

from Dean Ohlman of The Wonder of Creation ...  

God alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.  He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.  He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. (Job 9:8-10, NIV)

The first time I remember seeing it, I could hardly believe my eyes—truly.  It was on a visit to Yellowstone about 5 years after the great fires of 1988. 

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"the sparrow" by George MacDonald

Such an eloquent tribute to the Creator's "birds of the air" from beloved 19th century Scottish author George MacDonald, who pays special attention to the humble sparrow in the closing stanzas ...

O Lord, I cannot but believe
The birds do sing thy praises then, when they sing to one another,
And they are lying seed-sown land when the winter makes them grieve,
Their little bosoms breeding songs for the summer to unsmother!

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chosen by a horse

To close out a series on the special connection we have with horses, I wanted to share one of the more poignant animal-themed books I've read, and one of the first I reviewed for not one sparrow. Susan Richards'
Chosen by a Horse is an honest and beautiful account of two intertwined stories of tragedy and redemption, the memoir of a scarred middle-aged woman wrapped around an unexpected adoption of an abused and emaciated racing horse breeder.

Susan's own story had quite a few ghosts in it, along with two horses of her own, when she suddenly got a call from a local chapter of the SPCA that several horses needed immediate rescue and housing from a filthy and derelict Standardbred farm.  The horse she ends up taking home, appropriately called Lay Me Down, fights to restore her health while at the same time demonstrating an unbelievably tender and loving spirit despite all she'd gone through. 

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War Horse

Updated on February 9, 2012 by Ben DeVries

Many thanks to Lauren Merritt of The Christian and Creation, and a horse trainer and riding consultant, for this very insightful review of the recent blockbuster film War Horse (Touchstone '11) ...

As a horse trainer, I have always gone into horse movies with a heavy dose of skepticism.  Even some of the most beautiful movies ever directed can fall apart for me when the references to riding, training, or care of horses are incorrect.  I imagine doctors or nurses have a similar experience when they watch medical dramas on television.  The movie magic shatters for a moment when a soldier mounts his horse from the wrong side, or a doctor is shown galloping a horse over rocky roads for miles only to arrive at his destination with a sound, unlathered horse.

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Buck, a "horse whisperer"

To kick off a few posts on our unique connection to horses, I'm grateful to Nick Olson and Christ and Pop Culture for allowing us to share this poignant review of Buck (Meehl '11), "a powerful documentary that shows how even inhumane circumstances can be redeemed into something beautiful, creative, and compassionate" ... 

Early in the documentary Buck, Dan “Buck” Brannaman tells a crowd of attentive, aspiring horse trainers that there are rarely “people with horse problems” but most often “horses with people problems.”  Yes, Buck is interesting because he’s a primary inspiration for Robert Redford’s 1998 drama The Horse Whisperer, but his story becomes especially fascinating as we learn of what this real-life horse whisperer has endured to become a magical horseman.

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a drop in the bucket

Thanks to Chuck Summers of Seeing Creation for this great reminder of the incredible "vastness and variety" of God's creation and creatures ...

In Psalm 104 the Psalmist declares “How many are your works, O Lord!  In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.” (v. 24, NIV)  Elsewhere in this psalm the biblical writer mentions a number of creatures.  He refers to “wild donkeys,” “birds of the air,” “the cattle,” “the stork,” “wild goats,” “the coneys,” “the beasts of the forest,” “lions,” and “leviathan.”  He also mentions other aspects of God’s Creation: the clouds, the wind, the mountains, springs, grass, trees, the moon, the sun, the forest, and the sea.  Without a doubt, the Psalmist recognized all of Creation to be God’s wonderful handiwork and a manifestation of His wisdom.  God’s Creation is seen as a reason for joyful praise.

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christian voices for compassionate animal farming

To close out a short series on a more compassionate animal farming and diet, which previously featured the "Back to the Start" animated video and "... Also Many Animals" from Rev. Leonard Vander Zee, I wanted to link to a few other Christian voices on this critical dimension of caring for God's creatures:

- The Christian Broadcasting Network posted a commendable news segment and accompanying article on Christian "alternative farmer" Joel Salatin, "Natural Farming: Inspiring Passionate 'Stewards.'"  Salatin has received national attention in the natural food movement, including films such as Food, Inc. and books such as The Omnivore's Dilemma.  Following the video is a great quote from Salatin in CBN's article:

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also many animals

A while back my mother pointed me to an admirable article written by Rev. Leonard Vander Zee for The Banner of the Christian Reformed Church in North America.  The article is titled ... Also Many Animals, a reference to Jonah 4:11 in which God tells Jonah, who is anxious for Nineveh to be judged for its wickedness and to save his own psyche in the process, "Should I not have concern for the great city Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people ... and also many animals? (Today's New International Version).

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