I wake up to the
a-hink-a-honk-a-hink-a-honk sound of hundreds of Canadian snow geese flying over our
Richmond backyard first north-eastward then back to the fields
then north-westward then back again to the fields to feed. It appears they are
on a ‘military-air force’ exercise routine or perhaps just a morning exercise.
But an intriguing question crosses my mind and perplexes me: “Do animals or
non-rational creatures recognize the presence of God?” Why this unusual
question makes me stop, reflect and write about it- I don’t know. All I know is
I’ve made the time this fine chilly Saturday morn to think about it. Where it
will lead to, the fingers on the keyboard will decide.
As I reflect on my experience and the experience of animal
lovers like St. Francis, we know we can see God’s love and goodness in them. We
know that nature and natural creatures leave tracks that lead to God. We know
that Jesus loved ALL his creation because He created them and “it was all good”.
We know that a dog (spelled backwards is God) has unconditional love for its
owner. But does the dog recognize that there is a God and do they see it, feel
it, and recognize it? For those of us that truly believe in God, His presence
is recognized within ourselves, others, nature, events, science and in
scripture. We know Him and learn to love him. And we show it by expressing ourselves
through art, music, literature, our work and worship. We show it by living
according to His will and loving others. But how about the dog—a creature with
no reason, no intelligence nor logical capability? It lives by instinct,
survives without worry and is free in many ways. Does it have moments where it
stops in its daily routine to think and pray in thanksgiving or curse the
heavens because being in this world is simply a suffering and a tragedy?
The fact that birds simply roam freely, without worry or
fuss may perhaps make us think that they ‘simply know’ there is a God. It
appears to be a ‘given’ or a ‘recognized fact’ to them. There is no ‘rational’
questioning or doubting. Their existence is a mere reflection of their creator.
There is no philosophical reflection like I’m doing right now. They just know.
They just live and let go according to their nature, according to their purpose
and according to whatever leads them thru the skies, the valleys, the seas and
the fields. There is an implicit ‘trust’ in the way things are and that they will be taken care of and things and
events will fall into place. Perhaps this is the lesson I should be learning this
morning. Perhaps I should be asking a different question instead:
“Do
human beings recognize the presence of God?”
Do we see His presence in the deforestation of our once beautiful
mountains and in our flooded cities? Do we see His presence in the oil spills
in the gulf of Mexico and the dearth of sea food? Or in the ‘secularized
schools’ prohibiting prayer because it is not politically correct and the
senseless campus shootings? Do we see God’s presence in the abuse in
government, the rape and plunder of financial systems and the peoples that will
bear the hunger and debt? These are all human machinations - of people with
reason, logic and intelligence. Are we any ‘lower’ than the ‘lowly’, ‘mindless’
and ‘irrational’ creatures? Can we get any lower than this?
In conclusion, more questions arise. If animals do not have
rational capability, how come they do things so naturally and instinctively and with more 'intelligence' and 'heart'? We
on the other hand have to rely on reason and logic. If there is a toy and toy
maker, the toy owner should follow the toy instructions manual lest the owner breaks
it accidentally or does not get the full benefits of the toy and the features
they were meant to deliver. Do we follow the ‘instruction manual’ meant for us
human beings? The Canadian geese soaring hither and yonder, instinctively know
the presence of God. We human beings on the other hand tend to question
everything and everyone. We rationalize our way out of what we implicitly know.
Sometimes our greed and ego get the better of us and we do not recognize our true
place in this world. We do not recognize
our creator. And it is all reflected in our environment, our societies and
families. Perhaps the profoundest lesson this morning is ‘trust’ as the birds
have it – without doubt, reason or logic. But unlike the birds, we can increase
and magnify this trust by continuously reading and living the
Word.
