Most of
us never think about how animals have the capacity to lead us spiritually in a
variety of ways. They can teach us about death, participate in our social
and moral development, enhance our physical and psychological well-being and
heighten our capacity to love and to experience joy.
Animals, however, offer us a unique
opportunity to transcend the boundaries of our human perspectives, they allow
us to stretch our consciousness toward understanding what it is like to be
different. This stretching enables us to grow beyond our narrow viewpoint. It
allows us, I believe, to gain a spiritual advantage.
How can
we possibly appreciate and move toward spiritual wholeness if we cannot see
beyond our own species? How can we come to know God, or grasp the
interconnectedness of all life, if we limit ourselves to knowing only our own
kind? The goal of compassion is not to care because someone is like us but to
care because they are themselves.
Any
spiritual discipline, in any tradition, invites us to open our hearts and
minds. This invitation represents an ongoing exercise; the desire and attempt
to open to others in our midst are the essence of the spiritual process.
Trish Dick, OSB
We don't have a photo of Tucker but here's what seems an appropriate substitute - a picture of Sister Trish forming a bond with a dog on one of the dogsledding retreats she regularly leads!
