Connections...

Our friend buried her horse at the farm last week. He was very old and very sick, and it was really sad. There is a special connection between horses and their people, and he had been with our friend for a long time.  

And I am reminded that in the beginning, “God brought [the animals and the birds] to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field.” (Genesisv2:19b-20a) When we name a creature, we bind ourselves to it. It becomes in our eyes what it has always been in God’s eyes – precious. And in the naming, we are connected. Although it might be better to say that we are made aware that we are already and always connected. We are all part of God’s creation, God’s created: humans, animals, birds, fish and sea creatures, plants and ferns and amoeba – everything living. 

We are all connected, but some of those connections are stronger and more powerful. We wept with our friend. The man who came with the backhoe to dig the grave made a cross of small branches, and my sister cut flowers.  And we were glad that she came to this place to lay her horse to rest. She wanted a place where she could return, and she knew we would always be here. We are connected to this farm, and now, so is she.