a tribute to Little Chickie

a heartfelt tribute to the communication capabilities of chickens, and one "Little Chickie" in particular, from Jenny Sue Hane ...

“Indeed, but are they truly incomprehensible?  In my experience communication is a matter of patience, imagination.  I would like to believe that these are qualities that we have in sufficient measure.” (Captain Picard, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Episode 102 “Darmok”)

It may surprise you to learn that the thing I associate most strongly with that quote is a chicken.

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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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goodbye Scooter

I was going through some childhood papers before our recent move, and came across this letter I wrote after the rather tragic death of my first hamster, Scooter, when I was about eight:

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snapshots of animal ministries

Following up on recent posts which have featured ideas for and examples of churches, small groups and faith coalitions which appreciate and care for animals, here are a few more snapshots of real-life ministries in action ...

First is a brief but meaningful clip from Graffiti 2 Community Ministries in the South Bronx, New York, which features North American missionary Andrew Mann and his trained therapy dog 'Proof' (see screenshot below).  In God's grace, Proof helps open doors to people and their hearts which might not be accessible otherwise, as Andrew illustrates.  Click on this link and the "Proof God Exists" video to watch.

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we should all show kindness to God's creatures

Joe Bowyer of Logansport, Indiana's Pharos-Tribune wrote a beautiful and compassionate column this past May, titled "We Should All Show Kindness to God's Creatures."  It was prompted by the sad death of one of the orphaned wild bunnies he was caring for, which he discovered while mowing grass at a local factory.  He writes of taking them in:

Don't let anyone tell you a little bunny isn't worth caring about.  All of God's creatures have worth.  We only have to look for it to see it.

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closer than a brother

The last post in our animal death and grief series is a deeply touching tribute to a scarred dog who became the most loyal companion and protector, sent by personal message from our dear friend Cherie Sindall of Bravehearts Horse Haven & Animal Shelter in South Africa ...

One of my beloved rescued dogs died of cancer 2 weeks ago.  I knew he had a tumour and that it was inoperable, so I let him 'be' to live, love and be loved, and have quality of life.  He was abandoned when he was about 3 or 4 years old, and was taken to Animal Welfare.  At the time, I had just relocated to the farm I live on and the only dog I had was a rescued miniature doberman!  The neighbour farmers told me I need additional security reinforcements or I would become another South African farm statistic. 

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last minutes with Oden

This short film will almost surely bring you to tears, and even contains a few instances of strong language.  But I promise, if you take just a few minutes to watch it, "Last Minutes with Oden" will be one of the most moving and Christ-imbued moments you ever have the privilege to witness - between a man with a broken past and broken friends, and his cancer-ridden dog who loved him and all of them unconditionally ...

"He showed me, through his example, how to love.  And I loved him. ...

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for honey, death be not proud

Last Summer I bumped into Susan Isaacs on Twitter, an actor, comedian and author of Angry Conversations with God: A Snarky but Authentic Spiritual Memoir (FaithWords '09) who hails from the Lutheran tradition of faith.  Having written a rather vulnerable memoir of my own, I can relate a bit to the title, and like Susan believe that God can handle our honesty and even anger with Him in difficult questions and seasons; in fact, they can help our faith and relationship with Him develop and become more authentic over the long run. 

When we e-met, Susan sent me a link to a blog post she'd written earlier that Summer about the death of her dear cat Honey, whom she spent the last 12 years of her life with - through some very awkward and difficult years (and human relationships), and some happier and redemptive experiences as well.  Honey was adopted from a kitten rescue, at a time when Susan says she "was trying to heal from some behaviors, like smoking, drinking and dating awful men," and in need of a companion to love and "be responsible for."  She writes endearingly of finding Honey:

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things I learned about life from my dog Charlie

Updated on July 28, 2011 by Ben DeVries

Jason Clark, who pastors a Vineyard church in London and leads a doctoral program in Global Missional Leadership for George Fox Seminary, has also hosted blog series in recent years on the connection between our faith and animal welfare, with contributions from myself and other friends.  Jason was kind enough to allow us to repost this touching reflection which he wrote after the passing of his dog Charlie, on the powerful lessons he learned from him and the unique individuality and place which Charlie took in Jason's family ...

So last wednesday night, we went out as a family and scattered our labrador Charlie's ashes in his favourite park.  Carrying my beloved labrador in a box whilst I carried so many memories of him with me.

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do animals have souls?

As promised in our introduction to the question of whether animals have souls, following is a re-post of Dean Ohlman's thoughtful and balanced reflection from The Wonder of Creation.  "Do Animals Have Souls?" was originally shared following two posts ("Losing a Good, Good Dog" and "A Pet Grief Observed") which in part wrestled with the haunting uncertainty of whether we'll be reunited with the animals we've loved and lost in heaven.  Dean presents a very biblically grounded take on the question, with some perhaps surprising possibilities ...

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