“People who are right with God take good care of their
animals." ~ Proverbs 12:10
Josh sucked in the rich autumn
breeze as he hiked a rocky trail up the mountainside. He was in a zone … one of peace and serenity;
perfect for his morning conversation with God.
From the stillness rang a meow that seemed to originate from
among the thorny gooseberry bushes lining the path. Josh stopped in his tracks. When the cry came again, this time shriller,
he started rummaging through the sharp branches looking for its source.
Then he saw her - a small cat trapped among the barbs. Her
piercing amber eyes cast a frightened expression. Cats are certainly adept at communicating
when they’re angry - hissing, flattening their ears, and fur standing on end is
hard to miss. This one just looked
scared.
Josh tried to reach in and calm the terrified kitty. But even though they sometimes seem smarter
than us, cats are still animals. She
scratched at him and as he instinctively recoiled, the gooseberry thorns tore
into his skin.
Scratching is a natural behavior for cats. Cats scratch to sharpen their claws, mark
their territories and defend themselves when attacked. Even declawed cats retain the instinct to
scratch.
Bleeding, wounded and determined, Josh reached back in again
and again. Each time the cat scratched
him.
Another hiker trekked by noticing the bloodbath. “Leave it,” he suggested. “Cats only do as much as needed to escape. They don’t deal in revenge. She’ll eventually find her own way out.”
Josh ignored the uninvited suggestion and continued trying
to free the cat. Finally, he succeeded
and placed her on the dusty path and watched her scamper away.
Noting the warm blood flowing over Josh’s battered hands,
the hiker couldn’t help but shake his head. “You must be some kind of animal rights
fanatic,” he chuckled.
“I guess I could have just left her there,” Josh
hesitated. “But forever I will be in this
moment; my hands scarlet and sticky. Yet
there’s an exquisite pain that educates in a way nothing else can.”
“You’re correct sir,” he continued. “Cats are animals that scratch and attack intuitively. But compassion is a human instinct; a
natural, reflexive response that has ensured our survival throughout history. Our brains are wired to respond to all of
God’s suffering creatures. It’s about
giving all the love you’ve got for the blessings received.”
Slightly embarrassed, the other hiker stood frozen; in awe
of Josh’s assurance. “Guess you’ve given
me a few things to consider this morning.”
Darwin wrote that “communities which include the greatest
number of the most sympathetic members will flourish best, and rear the
greatest number of offspring. We need
people to be kind to each other to ensure that our species continues to grow
successfully over time.”
O God, may the great beauty and strength of
Your love fill the hearts of all creatures with comfort and
compassion, as we work and wait for Your Kingdom of light, beauty and kindness upon
this Earth. Amen
