Sermon 6th October 2019 –
Creation Sunday (Companion Pets)
Text: Genesis 2:18-25 – God’s gift
through pets
There is an old saying that says –
Dog spelt backwards is still man’s best friend.
Often a person will get asked – are
you a dog person or a cat person.
Because they are different.
In fact it is often said – you own a
dog but a cat owns you.
They have different temperaments.
Cats can be more fussy.
It was also once said that a dog gets
fed, gets patted, gets pampered – and they think to themselves of their owners
– they must be God.
A cat on the other hand gets fed,
gets patted, gets pampered – and they think to themselves of their owners – I
must be God.
Whether you’re a cat person, a dog
person, a fish person, a bird person – or you don’t like pets at all – animals
are part of the created order and given as a gift to human kind as companions.
It’s interesting that apart from the
birds of the air and the fish of the sea, the animal kingdom share the 6th day
of creation with human beings.
So there is a close connection with
chimpanzees sharing something like 97 to 99% of the human DNA.
In Genesis chapter 2 we read of the
original purpose for the animals that God had created:
The Lord God said, “It is not good
for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
Now the Lord God had formed out of
the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them
to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each
living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock,
the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper
was found.
So as we know God created Eve from
Adam – bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh.
So we see that the animal kingdom has
a special role in the life of humanity and it is part of our role to love and
care for them.
It was in the very first chapter of
Genesis when God said: “Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky
and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
And to rule over means to care and
provide just as God cares and provides for us as he rules over us.
Not everyone is a pet type of person
but it is hard to deny that pets and other animals play an import role in the
life of human beings.
Whether it be for providing food – or
warmth through clothes.
Animals have played and continue to
play an important part in people’s lives.
And that includes seeing eye dogs – assistance animals
– even sniffer dogs to protect our borders and canine squad with the police to
help with crime prevention.
But for many people companion pets
have provided much love and companionship for the lonely.
In fact I was reading an article last
week about Australian swimmer Shayna Jack.
You may recall earlier this year she
tested positive to a performance enhancing drug and was kicked out of the world
championship in South Korea.
She posted an emotional message to
Instagram, admitting she "couldn't stop crying" after she tested
positive to a banned drug. But she also
posted a picture of herself with new puppy Hugo, who she writes helped her
during her darkest moments after the drug scandal broke.
There is something about a companion
pet that mimics the love of God.
It is unconditional.
It is forgiving.
I’ve often come home late from a
visit or meeting and while everyone is busy and doesn’t notice me coming home,
the dog, however, is looking out the
window because he has heard my car from a distance.
And he then runs to the door grabbing
a ball or toy along the way wanting to greet me and play.
While not everyone is a pet person or
has the ability to own or care for a pet, we are thankful to God that for so
many people a pet has been their saviour in providing companionship in
loneliness – unconditional love when there is no one else.
My experience reminds me so much of
the parable of the prodigal son.
Here was a father who lost a son but
never stop waiting a watching out the window for his son’s return.
He never gave up hope that his son
would return home.
And when he gets a glimpse of his son
returning home he runs excitedly to meet him.
He doesn’t ask questions.
He doesn’t tell him how disappointed
he is in him.
He is just happy that he has come
home.
God’s gift of animals and pets also
form part of the worship of God as we hear in our Psalm today:
Praise the Lord from the earth, you
great sea creatures and all ocean depths, wild animals and all cattle, small
creatures and flying birds.
Even St Francis of Assisi is believed
to have spent time preaching to animals, particularly to the birds to encourage
them to bless God with their singing.
He reports that the birds remained
attentively gathered around him until he blessed them and they flew away—some
heading north, some south, some east, and some west—going out in all directions
as if on their way to pass along the good news of God's love that they had just
heard to other creatures.
We have so much to be thankful to God
for and whether or not we are pet people or not let us never forget and give
thanks to God for the companionship and love that they provide to so many
people without whom their lives would be filled with sadness and loneliness.
Praise be to God.
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