http://www.newoxfordreview.org/article.jsp?did=0996-vanauken

C!"#$%& (!)) * C!"#$%& +,")) ! !!!!an as edeeer of east

+epte1er 29963 +heldon 4anauken

+heldon 4anauken is a writer in 4irginia. ,is latest 1ook is #he )ittle )ost arion and %therercies. 5,is poe Cardinal7 is reprinted here fro the now-defunct !ternit3 aga8ine and hispoe ead Collie7 is reprinted here fro his 1ook " +evere erc3 ,arperCollins;<.

#o redee in theolog3 is to rescue and deliver fro the 1ondage of sin and the penalties of od>sviolated law. #hat creation is fallen and shall 1e redeeed reconciled is clear in oans@:A2-AA and Colossians 2:A0. ut what can innocent anials in the wild know of sin and od>slaw as revealed 13 the +aviour of an? easts know onl3 the law of the pack or the herd to killor to avoid 1eing killed. "nd 3et as part of creation the3 are soehow to 1e redeeed.

Bhat is the relation of an to &ature? "t first glance a plundering and destructive relation: thesacred grove turned into a parking lot the steers slaughtered to ake ha1urgers the wild1easts hunted for food or sport fish in the illions netted or hooked. $f indeed an has 1eengiven doinion over east then ever3thing he does is either lawful authorit3 or a1use ofauthorit3. ut $ do not sa3 that all $ listed in the relationship is alwa3s and ever3where wrongfula1use. #o replace the sacred grove an plants illions of trees and irrigates deserts. #heslaughtered 3oung steers if not destined for steaks would have no life at all never having 1een1orn. an3 hunters love and replenish the running deer or the craft3 fox as the fisheran lovesthe gleaing trout and 1oth in their sport a3 receive intiations of ,i who created the treesand 1irds and grass even as $ did in this oentar3 glance:

  C"$&")  #his is no chance  #his 1ird of flae  #hat grips 3 glance:  $ see od>s &ae  $n scarlet flight  "nd know that ,e  "long the light  $s hailing e.

ranting that &ature all Creation is fallen we 3et ust ask what redeption can possi1l3ean when applied to anials? ,ow can there 1e sin which eans knowledge of wrongdoing?ossi1l3 a lone wolf cast out fro his pack is dil3 aware that he has 1roken the law of the pack 1ut that>s ere speculation. #he idea of the redeption of Creation a3 1ring to indsentiental pictures of the lion cuddling the la1. ut however pleasant for the la1 it would 1ea vision of ,ell for the lion expected to eat ha3 like a cow: ,e would pro1a1l3 1e too weak frohunger to lift a paw and site the la1. " lion and his lioness devouring a juic3 ga8elle or evena tender Christian in the oan arena are sipl3 o1e3ing the law of their 1eing like a fisheating a wor or us eating the fish: $n no wa3 could the lion coprehend his lunch as sinful. Bea3 in the night consign the osDuito to ,ell 1ut the osDuito would 1e aa8ed: $t knowsnothing of sin. Bhat can sin ean to a wild creature? Be sipl3 cannot know what theredeption of wild 1easts will 1e: or whether it will have an3thing to do with individual ra11its orro1ins or roaches.

 "nd 3et 3 thesis is that what Christ the +aviour is for us we in Christ knowingl3 or not are tosoe individual 1easts: the ones we own and teach and love the ones who look up to us as weto our )ord 1easts who love us and in love o1e3. " pet lapdog or cat will not 1e saved 1ecauseit is cute7 1ut 1ecause it has 1een taught right and wrong and developed a personalit3.

 

#eaching which soe pet-owners do so poorl3 screaing at their 1ewildered 1easts ust 1eginwith &oE 7 5thou shalt not<. C.+. )ewis 5in #he ro1le of ain< sa3s: $n so far as the taeanial has a real self or personalit3 it owes this alost entirel3 to its aster.7 "nd he adds thatthus ere sentience is re1orn to soulhood7 in and through us. $f through us the 1east a3 gain asoul is it not soehow saved7? )ewis in this ver3 Catholic 1ook sa3s further: $t sees to epossi1le that certain anials a3 have an iortalit3 not in theselves 1ut in the iortalit3 oftheir astersF. $n other words the an will know his dogG the dog will know its aster and inknowing hi will 1e itself.7 )ewis confirs e in 3 thinking that is 1ased on 3 own experiencewith dogs and horses and $ wish to sa3 soething a1out that experience that 1rought e to1elieve in the salvation of 5soe< 1easts.

$f soe anials gain souls and iortalit3 through their asters> iortalit3 what of the gooddog loved and loving of a aster 1ound for the other place7? Bill his dog lick his face in ,ell?%r accopan3 hi to urgator3? $ a inclined to agree with )ewis that the dog finds salvationonl3 in that of its asterG and since we cannot know with an3 certaint3 who will find salvation and even less what urgator3 is to 1e these Duestions $ think ust 1e left in the hands of od.

$ used often to ride a horse naed #aff3 1eautifull3 schooled though not 13 e. +he had a lovel3canter juped well and galloped fleetl3 o1e3ing ever3 signal. ut galloping across a eadow ifshe sensed that her rider was sipl3 enjo3ing hiself and not full3 alert she would swerveslightl3 to run 1eneath a tree with a low 1ranch that would scrape hi off or 1rain hi. +o she didwith e once onl3. $ saw it too late to turn her 1ut kicking off the stirrups $ caught the 1ranchand let her run out fro under e. Hnhared $ dropped to the ground caught her and there wasa reckoning. #he point is she had 1roken the law she had sinned and she knew it she lookedas guilt3 as !ve.

$ had a dog naed 3ps3 a ixture of collie and husk3 well trained 13 e. ut she had 1een astreet dogG $ hadn>t had her as a pup when lessons are deepl3 learned. "nd then one da3 on our4irginian far ,orse1ite ,all she was in the far eadow when $ whistled for her. +he started torun to e just as a ra11it 1urst out of the grass near13. +he continued her run to e for aoent hesitated thinking a1out that ra11it and turned to chase it. #he rifle that wouldhave ended her re1ellion was 1eside e 1ut $ didn>t fire. $ hoped she would return to theo1edience. Bhen she finall3 cae hoe she hung her head tail 1etween her legs no gladgreeting. +he had 1roken the law not 13 chasing a ra11it 1ut 13 diso1e3ing her aster andshe knew it. ut she also knew that the sk3 had not fallen. +he was ver3 o1edient for awhile 1uteventuall3 there was another ra11it. +o unlike her ever-o1edient pup (lurr3 3ps3 cae to livein a pen. +he had lost her freedo to wander her hundreds of acres. (inall3 on a trip an3 ilesfro hoe we stopped to let the dogs out on the edge of a forest and 3ps3 ran followed 13(lurr3. $ called sharpl3. (lurr3 cae at once. "fter an hour of calling and searching we had todrive on without 3ps3 leaving word with local folk. ut no word of her ever again. (irst she lostfreedo at hoe now hoe itself. #his stor3 in ore detail entitled #he (all7 is in 3 " +evereerc3 and its thee is in whose service is perfect freedo.7

$f indeed an anial a3 win an iortalit3 through learning right and wrong through its asteras 3ps3 had done and through loving o1edience the Duestion a3 1e asked: id 3ps3eventuall3 go to ,ell? Bhile $ know nothing of her later life $ 1elieve she could win iortalit3onl3 in the iortalit3 of her aster. 3 renouncing hi she reverted $ think to soulless wild-1east status: no iortalit3.

#he lion we touched on earlier knew no aster and therefore no law. #he horse and the dogknew a aster 1ut the3 3ielded to teptation and knowingl3 1roke the law. #he3 1oth knew thatthe3 sinned just as we know right well that we are sinning. $ knew a dog who guiltil3 3elped asif in agon3 when erel3 collared not struck when 1reaking the law. espite the sill3 anial-rights7 faddists eDuivalent to an-rights7 against odE $ a deepl3 convinced that a horseor dog 5just possi1l3 a cat< coes into the fullness of his 1eing and is ensouled when he has aloving and loved aster who teaches hi right and wrong: and he chooses to o1e3. Certain

 

anials in literature a3 illustrate the point: eneral )ee>s agnificent horse #raveller in theBar of +outhern $ndependence 5see #raveller 13 ichard "das< who def3ing all horse-naturestood like a rock in the terrors of 1attle the loved hand on his neck. %r the great collies in%llivant>s o1 +on of attle or #erhune>s )ad and 3 own (lurr3.

Be know no ore of ,eaven than the little 5an3 ansions7< revealed to us. $ ver3 uch hopethat there will 1e trees and 1irds and 1easts though not necessaril3 the individual 1irds andrunning deer that had a life on earth. ut as $ have said $ have coe to 1elieve that weepowered 13 our aster Iesus the +aviour can 1e the saviours of certain individual dogs andhorses ensouled through us and pro1a1l3 in the sae wa3 certain chips elephants caelsperhaps dolphins even 8oo lions or 8e1ras. "nd as we shall find our aster Iesus so theserelativel3 few 1easts will find us their asters.

,aving spoken of anials who chose diso1edience $ should like now to speak of two who adedifferent choices and the intiations $ had fro the of dog-salvation. (irst (lurr3 who had 1othaster and istress. Bith her we were visiting kinfolk and one da3 a walk was entioned.(lurr3 danced. +o we set forth (lurr3 ga3est of all. ut after we had rounded two corners $ordered (lurr3 to return to the house. +he looked at e un1elieving. oE7 $ said. +he plodded offlooking 1ack over her shoulder once. "fter she rounded the corner we ran 1etween two housesto see her arrive. +he did cli1ed the steps to the porch turned round and la3 down and allalone she wagged her tail. +he had o1e3ed and she was pleased to have 1een good: #hat>swhat the tail-wagging eant. $ whistled and she cae like a whirlwind.

$n another town 3ears later $ would let (lurr3 out to pla3 in the evening and a few hours later callher in. %ne night on the doorsteps as $ whistled $ heard distant 1arks of several dogs includinghers and $ thought: +he>s having funG a31e this tie she won>t coe.7 ut $>d whistled andcouldn>t retract it. "long oent passed. "nd then the patter of rushing paws as she gail3arrived her dut3 and wishes all one in her loving heart. a3 we all so respond to IesusE

%ne ore stor3 this tie of the 1order collie &ell3 as loved and loving as (lurr3 a stor3rese1ling that of 3ps3 1ut with a difference. $t was at a countr3 church when $ was still an!piscopalian. &ell3 had 1een taught never to leave the top-down car unless $ said "1andonshipE7 +o she unrestrained would 1e faithfull3 there when $ cae out of a store or on +unda3church. %ne +unda3 in a3 after the service the church had an outdoor lunch. &ell3 in the car ahundred 3ards awa3 watched alertl3 ears up the gathering at the long ta1les undou1tedl3longing to 1e there. eople kept sa3ing %h do let her coeE7 (inall3 when lunch was over 1utthe people still there $ put a couple of scraps on a plate and shouted "1andon shipE 7 +hesoared out of the car and arrived a1out one second later to devour two platefuls of scraps theladies gave her and to 1e petted 13 ever3one. ,er thoughts a3 1e iagined: +o this is whatChurch is: $> convertedE7 "n3how the next +unda3 $ left her in the car with the usual +ta3E7 andwent in the church. (ive inutes later the ector and choir cae up the aisle and the ectorwhispered &ell3 has coe to churchE7 "nd there she was in the procession. +he had diso1e3edthe +ta3E7 $ called her to e and led her out of the church aidst siles. %rdering her into thecar $ said ad dogE7 and a ver3 stern +ta3E7 +he sta3ed 1ut $ wondered if she would go thewa3 of 3ps3. ut knowing that she had 1een wrong she never diso1e3ed again. +he a3even in soe collie-wa3 knowing she had grieved e have repented.

#he point of these little stories is anial oralit3 taught 13 a aster and Duite unknown toanials in the wild. an was taught right and wrong 13 od and an like these dogs andhorses often defied the teaching and still does. ut an takes aoral 1easts out of the wild to1e his copanions and helpers in hunting and herding and gives the laws and oralit3 andin 3 1elief personalit3 and souls. "lthough $> not a1le to attept a theolog3 of 1easts it a31e that $ can suggest soe pointers. Be individuall3 are gods to our anialsG and like #aff3 and3ps3 (lurr3 and &ell3 the 1easts with asters struggle with the oral codes we have taughtthe. $f we with our doinion over other created life were not ourselves fallen there ight 1ean3 ore 1easts saved through us. $f we soe of us are to 1e saved through od $ncarnate in

 

our +aviour Iesus so $ 1elieve soe 1easts not aoral 1ut good choosing good as we havetaught the will individuall3 1e redeeed and saved. $f so we are to the what Iesus Christ isto us: their saviours.

 "n awesoe responsi1ilit3.

Bhen (lurr3 gave up her 1lithe spirit in death and went eagerl3 $ hope to join her istresswho had died $ wrote a poe a1out her that iplies uch that $ her aster have 1een sa3ing. "nd $ shall end with that.

  !" C%))$!  $>ll not catch such a flurr3 of living and grace  #o chase down the wind is sheer foll3:  Iust sa3 that 3 life has a void lifeless place  (or a little dead collie.  +till $ use on 3our goodness -- so glad to 1e good --  (ree courtes3 ruled 3our 1rief living  &ever thinking 3ou could diso1e3 if 3ou would  "nd purel3 forgiving.  " whistle fro e and 3ou whirled fro 3our pla3  Hp ears and eager paws druing  Jour dut3 and wishes all one in the ga3  +wift rush of 3our coing.  !ven now a clear whistle ight reach and surpass  "ll liits and 1ring 1ack the rushing  %f printless ga3 paws running over the grass  "nd the silk3 head 1rushing.