does wildlife need our management? (part 2)

Continuing Jenny Sue Hane's thought-provoking and biblically grounded post "Does Wildlife Need Our Management?" ...

There are already signs that “management” by humans might not be all it’s cracked up to be.  Unlike natural predators, we are not limited in our choice of prey by our strength and speed.  So although hunters might describe their work as “culling,” in reality they often take the highest quality animals they can find.  Traits that once improved animals’ ability to survive are now working against them by making them desirable targets for hunters, so reproductive selection begins to reduce or eliminate those traits.  Elephants without tusks have increased, kangaroos are getting smaller, and bighorn sheep are developing less impressive headgear.  Our attempts to control nature may actually reduce the genetic strength and diversity of animal populations.  Is this a sign of responsible stewardship in action?  Is this what we wanted?  (See for instance Newsweek's "It's Survival of the Weak and Scrawny.")

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embracing diversity

I'm grateful to introduce a new and multi-gifted voice to our blog in Chuck Summers, a pastor and nature photographer based in eastern Kentucky.  Following is "Embracing Diversity" from Seeing Creation, a compelling blog which he co-hosts with fellow photographer Rob Sheppard ...

“How many are your works, O Lord!” (Psalm 104:24)

We truly do live in a remarkable and diverse world.  I did a few Google searches and discovered that there are an estimated 1.5 million different plant and animal species in the world today.  There are over 10,000 different species of birds and an incredible 900,000 different species of insects.  The various species of flowering plants number around 400,000.  There are 25,000 different kinds of cherries and 264 different kinds of monkeys.  The estimated number of different trees is in the tens of thousands.

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sabbath, animals included

A poignant reflection from Nancy Janisch of Conversation in Faith on how the biblical concept of sabbath, or "a period of rest" (Dictionary.com), is meant for animals as well ...

The Bible doesn’t have much to say about God’s relationship with animals.  This isn’t surprising since the Bible is part of God’s revelation to humans and thus the relationship between God and humanity is the focus of the story.  God’s revelation to animals, whatever it is, is unknown to us.  Since animals are not storytellers - at least in the way we tell stories - it seems logical that God’s revelation to animals would be different from God’s revelation to us and  appropriate for and intelligible to animals.

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prayer for Tracey Clarke

We've featured the stunning, faith-informed artwork of Tracey Clarke in the past, as well as a compassionate reflection which she wrote on two neighboring barn swallows, and count her as a friend.  My heart sunk over the weekend when I learned from mutual friend and fellow artist Kathleen Krucoff that a cluster of brain tumors which Tracey recently had removed had been diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme, an aggressive form of brain cancer rarely found in Tracey's gender and age demographic.

Tracey's husband Craig has been posting updates at CaringBridge on Tracey's condition and upcoming heavy schedule of treatment, including radiation, chemotherapy and possible surgery.  He wrote the following in the most recent update:

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the good shepherds

Many thanks to Lauren Merritt of The Christian and Creation for sharing this poignant and challenging post contrasting the good shepherd model of animal husbandry with today's callous industrial farming.  Lauren also shares some excellent encouragement and resources toward eating more humanely ...

Good shepherds lead their flocks kindly, provide them rest and shelter, are tender with the mothers and young, and protect the flock from harm.  The flock, in turn, is comforted, rather than fearful of the shepherd’s staff and turn to him for guidance and care.

It’s the pastoral ideal.  It’s the scene portrayed in children’s books and famous paintings, seen in movies, and commercials about happy cows.  But today, it’s a sadly misleading version of an American farm. 

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small things that have no words

I saw this homemade cross-stich at a wonderful, Christian-owned B&B appropriately called "Almost Home" where Cheryl and I were blessed to spend a night last week, not far from the Blue Ridge Mountains in Bedford, Virginia.  The cross-stitch dates back to 1953 with the artist initials N.R.H., and features a beautiful traditional prayer which I had not come across before:

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behemoth and batrachians in the eye of God

Dr. Cal DeWitt is one of the true fathers of the modern day creation care movement.  He founded and was longtime president of the Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies, where he worked to expose Christian college students to both a faith-informed and scientifically sound ethic of environmental stewardship.  Cal played a formative role in the landmark "Evangelical Declaration on the Care of Creation" (2000) and Evangelical Climate Initiative (2006), in addition to authoring many personal works on the care of creation (some of which you can find here and here), and is currently professor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Nelson Institute of Environmental Studies.

Cal graciously reached out to me soon after I finished my seminary capstone paper on a Christian foundation for animal welfare, and I was deeply honored by the support he communicated.  It wasn't until just recently however, to my discredit, that I realized the depth of Cal's passion for animals and our calling to steward them faithfully on God's behalf.  This passion was keenly impressed upon me as I read his exceptional article "Behemoth and Batrachians in the Eye of God: Responsibility to Other Kinds in Biblical Perspective" (kindly posted by Drury University, bottom of page, and originally published in Christianity & Ecology: Seeking the Well-Being of Earth & Humans, 2000).

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unforgettable faces

Tracey Clarke, a friend and very poignant artist in her own right (whose work we've featured previously), referred me a while back to the paintings of Sam Dolman.  Sam is based in the UK, and loves to paint animals, especially farm animals and cows:

It was purely accidental that I stumbled across some cows whilst out photographing the [Peak District] landscape.  It was also my first real encounter with these animals, hence I didn’t know whether to run away or offer them grass!  I soon became very fond of cows and they became my most common subject. (from Sam's biography)

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is Narnia all fiction?

A hopeful vision for animals and our relationship to them, and one that pays due honor to the Creator, to start off the new year from Dean Ohlman of The Wonder of Creation ...

Praise the LORD!  Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights!  Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts!

Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars!  Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!

Let them praise the name of the LORD!  For he commanded and they were created.  And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away. ...

Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth!  Young men and maidens together, old men and children!

Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven. (Psalm 148:1-6, 11-13, ESV, emphasis added)

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hands that tremble

As we head into our next FAQ series on the reality of animal suffering, the following lucid and moving poem from Hannah Stephenson of The Storialist seems an appropriately personal lead-in to discussion ...

Holding a dying creature during childhood
will leave you with hands that tremble.

The bird, tattered and bloody in the grass.
Restrain yourself from touching it.

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