Sometimes I’ve seen Christians be upset that a story about an abandoned or abused animal has prompted an outpouring of public dismay. Some believers say things like: “Look! They care more about an animal than people made in God’s image!”
Now of course, if people only care about animals, and care nothing about suffering people, including unborn children, that is certainly wrong! And believe me, in a culture like ours, the injustice committed against unborn children is a major blind spot. As has been noted by many prolife advocates, in this country you can get in major trouble for tampering with a bald eagle’s nest, but under the law in many states, an unborn child can be murdered with no repercussions; and in fact, abortion is celebrated by many. How tragic.
But none of this changes the fact that humans were indeed given a mandate in Genesis 1 and 2 to exercise benevolent dominion over the animals, and that mandate has never been rescinded. So when we see an animal suffering, especially at the hands of other people, it’s only right that we feel upset and even indignant (and again, this does not diminish the fact that we should feel far more upset when we hear of the suffering of people, especially children). A suffering animal in many ways represents what’s wrong with this broken world, affected by human sin—and also reminds us of the world as it once was, and was always meant to be, with humans and animals delighting in God and in each other without enmity, accidents, abuse, natural disasters, or predators.
One of the strangest assumptions people sometimes make is that if we love animals, we can’t sufficiently love God and people. But love is not a zero-sum game. Any person who would care for a stray cat or dog is more likely, not less, to offer help to needy people. (I often hear comments about how much money people spend on food and vet care for their animals. And certainly, we need to be wise stewards of what God has entrusted to us. But consider all the money spent on sports or watching sports, boating, skiing, golf, and other hobbies. I don’t think when anybody sees a golfer or a boater or a skier, they automatically assume he or she doesn’t care about people and their needs.)
Nanci had a mug that I still see whenever I open the cupboard: “What I love most about people is their dogs.” But her love for animals never overshadowed her love for people. On the contrary, it strengthened it. Nanci took a special interest in homeless people; she prayed for them and made considerable contributions to local rescue missions. Her affection for animals often led to a deeper connection with people, even facilitating spiritual conversations, especially with other dog lovers. (There are many lonely, single often widowed people whose animals are a gift from God for them. They may even feel their animals are one of the primary ways God shows His love for them. This has certainly been true for me with my dog Gracie, since Nanci went to be with Jesus.)
Loving animals can expand our capacity to love God and other people. Usually, a child who loves a pet will also love people more, not less. Many children learn compassion for people as they care for animals.
Some of my favorite animal videos show people rescuing and helping suffering animals. Here are two examples:
Something deep within us resonates with the goodness of assisting a helpless animal. Videos like these remind me of Romans 8:19: “All creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.” These people—regardless of whether they believed in God at all—acted as His appointed caretakers for helpless animals, and in doing so, they foreshadowed the perfect, sinless children of God who will one day rule the New Earth to God’s glory.
So let’s be careful not to mock or dismiss people for being concerned about animals, and especially those that are suffering. Instead, let’s use that love for animals as a bridge to share about their Creator who loves them and entrusted their care to us. He’s the God who died on the cross to offer us eternal life with Him, and who has a wonderful plan for redeemed people on a New Earth that will also include animals.
Note from Eternal Perspective Ministries: Preorder Randy's book All God’s Creatures: What the Bible Says About Animals, Heaven, and the New Earth from EPM, and your book will ship by media mail when it releases this fall.
