The Back Page
By Sue Ferguson
I have made reference to my golden retriever, Bennett, while leading Sunday morning worship and in my past columns. If you are a dog lover you know that it is as normal to talk about your quadruped as it would be to converse about your children.
My husband is highly jealous of our dog, as Bennett has a particular affinity to me, and he often steps between us when Shane leans in for a hug. When I return home from an outing Bennett greets me at the door with great excitement displayed in his rapidly wagging tail. When Shane returns home, apparently the dog doesn't even get up off of the couch…at which point I hand Shane a tissue.
Bennett and I go for a walk every morning. It's tough to go an entire block without stopping. The minute that Bennett sees another person on the street, at their front door, or walking a mile behind us, he stops and sits down until that person comes over to him or we venture their way to say hello. Imagine if we all treated strangers on the street this way, stopping and talking to everyone we see, regardless of what they look like or their social status? Making every person with whom we come into contact feel special would be an amazing thing. I can tell you there are few people who shy away from my dog's wagging tail and golden smile. Guess what? It makes them smile too.
Bennett the dog
Bennett is the epitome of unconditional love. Who else would happily accept a hug from someone dripping with sweat after a long workout? Who is better at listening than talking? Obviously he can't talk, but his actions speak so loudly. He has heard every heartache, every praise, and has caught many a tear on his fur. He definitely loves our neighbours, as he sneaks over anytime he gets a chance. He doesn't want to play with the dog Tanner next door as much as he wants to get into his house to see the people!
How, you ask, does the subject of my dog relate to my faith? It comes down to one word. Love. Bennett's love for his family and for people in general reminds me of the love that Jesus teaches us about all throughout the Bible. Not selective, but unconditional love. The kind of love that when He looks into your sad and weary eyes says “I know”. The patient kind of love that waits for you to love Him back. In a lot of instances we have strings attached to our love. We are human after all. That “agape”, selfless kind of love that comes naturally to Jesus can be challenging for us. Loving our neighbours as we love ourselves can be a really hard thing to do. Stopping and talking to a person in need on the street is not always in our comfort zone, let alone giving them a hug. We are often quick to speak and slow to listen, which is the opposite of what we are taught in the Bible. You see, all of these examples of what Jesus teaches us I am reminded of every day simply from my pet dog. Animals are among God's many diverse gifts to us. Anything or anyone who daily reminds me of God's teachings and His unconditional love is worth reflection. Also, my husband will have yet another reason to be jealous of our dog. It’s ok honey, he still loves you. Unconditionally.
