"Bringing Us Back To Now"--An Animal Blessing

Bringing Us Back To Now~How Animals Care For Us
© Rev. Susan Karlson

We are all animals. Today, we celebrate the non-human animals among us, the rich interdependent web of life that holds us close and that affects all of us.
Animals live in the now. Sure, they may nudge us to get their kibbles a little sooner or get a little weirded out if their routines are upset that we’ve created, not them. But our pets live in the present moment. In that way, they teach us something about appreciating the golden present, this “now” that the golden retrieval brings its owner back to over and over—with a “bow wow, bow-wow, bow-wow”.

When my cat Blue notices that we are approaching the door, he gets as close as he can to scoot out the door though he is an indoor cat. Getting out, he expects us to scoop him up again but yesterday we watched as he found the dry dirt outside and just rolled over and over in it. He loves the smells of this church, all of the outdoor cats that crawl up on the chairs on our porch, all of the wild opossums, squirrels, birds and critters that live outside our doors and have left their scent. And Lilly, our dog, who takes two walks a day is as infatuated by this church and its smells and many areas of wonder.

Now, I’m not thinking we’re going to go around sniffing like the cats and dogs but there is something about seeing an area as if it is fresh and new. There is something about looking out the window and noticing the birds and listening to their songs and the sounds of children, lawnmowers, and the leaves blowing in the trees—that brings us back. And it strikes me that our pets and other non-human folks are not the only ones who often experience life this way for if we look at children—they see each moment as an opportunity to take in something for the first time or even something familiar but to realize how it is different.

For all of us, nature around us calls us back to this moment, the only one that we can have an effect on. Just as with Buddha’s birth as an antelope, what matters is how we work together, how we build a new way in this moment, this time right before us. We can get ourselves out of some pretty tight jams if we work together. We can free ourselves from old, stale ideas and we can build a healthier place for all of us—feathered, finned, four-legged, two-legged, furry or hairless. With all our senses, we can take in our world and the habitats we share, trying to “do no harm” as the Buddha taught and being aware of the creatures we affect through our sometimes careless and selfish actions.

Lynn Ungar who works with the Religious Education department of the Church of the Larger Fellowship wrote this Animal Blessing prayer:
“…We give thanks for these our non-human friends…” and send out our love …to the animals who live lives of service …such as guide dogs, police horses, search-and-rescue dogs to pet therapy cats. We ask for blessings on the cats and dogs who roam the streets hungry and without homes, and send our prayers for the …animals whose lives and habitats are threatened by…humans that affect the land, water and seas that are their homes.
“May we care for the wild ones whom we rarely see as much as we care for those who greet us at the door...” “May there be Frisbees for the dogs and sunny sofas for the cats, friendly shoulders for the parakeets and cockatoos and warm rocks for the lizards and snakes. May there be food for the hungry and shelter for the cold, play for the young, and rest for the weary.” So may it be. Amen.