34 “I give you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other. 35 This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you love each other.”
Reflection
I have to laugh when I read that Jesus said, “this is a new commandment.” This is NOT a new commandment! It is the very epicenter of Love One Another. Both the Old and the New Testaments refer to how we should treat others. As a Jewish boy, we believe that Jesus went to worship with his parents and was raised with what we now refer to as the Torah, the first five books of the Bible. Jesus grew up with similar words to our passage today, but they were most often very specifically directed at how to care for the poor. It is no surprise that when Jesus shared this command with his followers, he simplified it with the brief “Just as I have loved, you must love others”. Jesus tells us to act like him, to think like him, to follow in his footsteps. When we stand in the place of love that Jesus offers, we live a different energy. For those moments, we are not entirely self-preoccupied. We try to care for the world. Love is not an Either/Or suggestion but a Both/And command. God loves us no matter what. Sometimes I have thought “I don’t like what (someone) said or did, but God give me strength to love them
anyway.” I often add a little prayer: “God forgive me.”
Have you ever noticed how dogs love you unconditionally? Pets (and especially dogs) make us better people and better neighbors. I recently read an article in the UMC News. United Methodist layperson Gayle Fiser said, “If we pay attention, animals can teach us a lot about God’s love.” Her pastor at Pinnacle View UMC, Little Rock, Arkansas added “Pets bring presence, mindfulness and loyalty… all those are right out of the Bible.” These two women are passionate animal lovers who collaboratively lead the church’s thriving, multifaceted pet ministry. Celebrating the connections people have with pets and developing relationships with pet parents can lead to meaningful discipleship. The article goes on to explore the multiple opportunities there are to begin a pet-related ministry.
For me, this article brought to mind the annual “Blessing of Creation” celebrations at Medford UMC and other churches I served throughout my ministry. The Pinnacle View UMC has ventured far beyond once-a-year celebrations, mentioning pet-related service projects, gathering food and supplies for local animal shelters, collecting funds to help people pay for vital pet care, or hosting a pet adoption event. My husband and our previous dog, a Golden Retriever named Riley, participated in a hands on/paws on experience as Therapy Partners. They visited hospitals and schools (by invitation only) and created wonderful memories for patients, medical staff, and elementary students. We now have a Golden Doodle named Baxter. He LOVES PEOPLE but he is still too young to train as a therapy dog. For now, he is happy being a friend to everyone in the neighborhood when we go for walks, and he always welcomes them with a cuddle.
by Kathleen Stolz
For Pondering and Prayer
Pets come in all shapes and sizes, and we can learn a lot from them.
Is there an animal you wanted, or had, as a pet when you were a child? Share
your memories with someone you meet who is a pet owner.
What is something you learned about love from a pet?
I couldn’t end my devotion today without sharing some pondering of a Jimmy Buffett song. He had a great love of dogs and left us with a song that will give you a laugh. Here are just a few lyrics to ponder. If you haven’t heard it, and are looking for a laugh, and we can all use a good laugh, I highly recommend listening to the whole song when you have the opportunity.
LIKE MY DOG
He never tells me that he’s sick of this house
He never says why don’t you get off that couch?
He don’t cost me nothin’ when he wants to go out
I want you to love me like my dog
When I come home, I want you to just go crazy
He never looks at me like he might hate me
I want you to love me like my dog
Prayer: Loving God, thank you for the love you offer us daily through family and friends, through pets and nature, through relationships and experiences, through music and other human creations, and through the countless opportunities we have every day to witness your miracles. Forgive us when we miss an opportunity to notice the miracles, large and small, that you have placed in the world, especially those amazing moments that make us smile. Help us to share love wherever our path leads today, tomorrow and every day, as Jesus would have us do. Amen
