Guardians Not Owners
“God spoke: “Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflect our nature. So, they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, And, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth.”
That synchronicity thing, yet again. Two seemingly unrelated things happen in the same time period that turn out to make life connections.
One, I am reading veterinarian Karen Fine’s THE OTHER FAMILY DOCTOR: A VETERINARIAN EXPLORES WHAT ANIMALS CAN TEACH US ABOUT LOVE, LIFE, AND MORTALITY.
The other, this past Sunday, a great get-to. I baptized young John Michael Wright, a seven-month-old with a world class smile. Back to the one, then in a bit, to the other.
THE ONE…
Dr. Fine tells of growing up, her decision and training to be a vet, and intertwining stories of her caring treatment of her furry patients and her own beloved pets. All this is portrayed in the loving role she plays in these animals’ lives and for many, their deaths, when that tender goodbye comes.
She explores the interactive relationships between humans and our pets. We teach them to fetch, and they teach us about unconditional love. Dr. Fine tells how some veterinary circles refer to we human types not as OWNERS but as GUARDIANS of our fine furry friends. That kabongs true!
Just last night, on the news, there was yet another account of an abused pet by its “owner”. I admit, I can’t sit through those reports, for sure not the ads by the SPCA-Humane Society. The checks are consistently in the mail.
Beyond ‘owner abuse’, even recognizing that most of us ‘owners’ consider it a sacred trust to care for our pets, in the great mystery of it all, how can one living creature “own” another?
THE OTHER…
Last Sunday, eight years and five days after getting to officiate at the wedding of Ethan and Alex, I had the joy baptizing their child. Like so many baby baptizees before him across the years, John Michael playfully went for my glasses. No problem, I love that.
Building on the wedding promises, I asked Ethan and Alex the parent questions. In addition, John Michael's family and church family made their promises to encourage his faith and life.
I recalled (briefly!) Henri Nouwen’s words from his classic REACHING OUT, how children are not our possessions, but our GIFTS and GUESTS from God. Our job is not to make our children happy and it is not our children’s jobs to make us happy. Our sacred trust is to care for them, help them grow into faithful, resilient human beings.
Nouwen’s words:
“It may be strange to speak of the relationship between parents and children in terms of hospitality. But it belongs to the Christian message that children are not properties to own and rule over, but gifts to cherish and care for. Our children are most important guests, who enter our homes, ask for careful attention, stay for a while, and then leave to follow their own way.” P. 56
Of course, living out of this parent-child relationship is a bit bumpier in reality than Nouwen’s lovely ‘gifts to cherish and care for’ prose. A lot of on-the-job training and re-do’s is required. And for sure, we know parenthood doesn’t end at 21 or when they move out.
Yet Nouwen’s words help:
“Awareness that our children are guests can be liberating because many parents suffer deep guilt feelings toward their children, wonder where they failed… But children are not our properties as a puppeteer controls his puppets or as a lion tamer trains his lions. They are our guests to respond to.” P. 57
*****
Earlier translation of Genesis 1.16 has humans having ‘dominion over the creatures’. Gratefully, the word is better translated ‘responsible’. But the nuance here is not dominate or own, but care for, be guardians.
Genesis calls the humans to take care of, but not “own” the other creatures. Taking care of, being guardians of, another life, animal or human, is a holy responsibility. But owning?
In our country we continue to struggle with the damaging consequences of times when some humans “owned” other humans. I am not sure why some are so afraid of teaching our students that history, so their generation has a chance to do better than earlier ones. That’s another conversation.
Well, there are plenty implications to unpack for being guardians not owners of the creatures with whom we share breath and a planet. Also living out the details for treating one another as gifts and guests is not for the faint, is both remedial and AP. I know some churches that help with that.
Still, there are times when for a moment I get it with my pet and with a few people in my life. I guess it is because I have experienced that kind of love from them. Doxology.