Saints Among Us

This is a sermon given by a friend on All Saint's Sunday.... Enjoy....

Whaledreamers

 One of the things that I enjoy doing is watching documentaries, as they bring forth an understanding of things that one could never really clearly get a full vision of through books and/or magazines and other ways. I am currently watching a documentary called “Whaledreamers” that I borrowed from the library.  As I watched it, it got me thinking about different things.

 With a number of protest that I see, not only in person, but get reported by the press and other ways. Like many people, I would believe some of the stuff that the press and even governments would say about different things. Now I am sure that some who are reading this would say that I have been a fool for believing stuff like that, but if you truly think about it, even they have believed stuff that has been reported that is not valid at all.

 One of the things that I don't understand is why it is so important for people to download religions and religious beliefs of others? As I think about the stuff that I have heard from those who say they are Atheist, the more that I realize that their God us there belief system. I have a major problem with the different denominations in Christianity claiming how they are the only true denomination and/or that such and such group are really Christians, but yet I have yet to find in the Bible a single verse saying that any denomination is the correct one or the wrong one. Islam has a problem with those who are either Jewish or Christian, and the reverse can be said about each group disliking the others. We have problems when it comes to race, sex, sexuality, etc., etc., etc. The more that I think about these dislikes we have all over the world, but more that we as a species is headed towards extinction, and it will be our own fault.

 One of the things that occurred in the film was that they brought people of different race and places from throughout the world together and had them sit down and talk about the history of their people. It is amazing the commonality that flows through all of them. As much as one would want to believe that something happened to just one group, it really isn't that hard to find out that the same type of thing happened to others throughout the world. When one looks at the teachings of many of the religions throughout the world, it is amazing how many of them have what is really the same basic core and teach the same core values that we should live by, but we are so busy trying to be so right that we have forgotten to listen to one another and to try and find ways to not only not cause the extinction of our species, which we call Human, but to try to leave this planet in a condition that will allow other species to make sure that it continues if we humans should become extinct.

 Lately also I have been watching documentaries about WWII. Now I have had a small fascination with that war since I was a child, some of which I think had to do with the fact that the Vietnam War was something that we would see and hear about during the nightly news. As I have watched them, and especially while the election stuff had been going on here in the USA, I realized how much we haven't changed or learned since then. I mean that some of the stuff that I heard coming out of all sides sounded like some of the stuff something that Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party would of said. One example would be the Immigration issue. I mean if you really think about it, in ways you can replace the Jews with the Latinos in this country. We are talk how they are stealing jobs, committing crimes and other things, and how we should get them out of the country, but wasn't the Nazis first attempt with the Jewish people the same thing?

 As I think about things, I am becoming more and more in disagreement with science when it comes to language and communication with animals of the world. We humans look and think that we are the smartest species on this planet, so we really don't think that the other animals can really talk with us. I think that God gave them that ability, but we are so into our own ego and greatness that we don't and can't understand what these other species of God are telling us. We as Christians forget the it was a serpent that spoke to Adam & Eve, and the thing we really don't think about if that the serpent wasn't human and that they weren't surprised that the serpent spoke.

 “But I don't believe in the Bible, so that doesn't mean anything to me,” I am sure some may be saying. Ok, then think about this. Animals do speak to us in a way that we understand. No they aren't speaking to us in English, or Spanish, or French nor other languages that we use to communicate with each other, but when a dog comes up to you wagging it's tail, we know when it is a friendly wag the dog is giving. We know what they are saying when they make some of the noises that they do. The same thing goes with other animals with the noises and actions that they do.

 But if we think about it, couldn't animals be trying to tell of far more than we are willing to listen to? Couldn't they be trying to get through to us that we need to be making better choices as humans when it comes to this planet? Couldn't God be trying to get us to listen when it comes to being better Stewards to this planet?

 Plants also speak to us, but we never really think about that either. We can often tell with some trees when winter is coming because the leave on them change colors. We are so mesmerized at the colors, we don't really think about it as the trees talking to us. When certain plants and grasses grow, it can tell us what time of year it is. People look at plants and know when it needs to be watered or many other things.

 But as I watch this documentary, and thinking about others that I have watched, I begin to wonder what animals would say to us if they spoke in the languages that we do? Would they want to have a conversation with us about sports, movies or tv shows? I don't think that most of them will, but am sure that some of them will.

 What do I think the other species of this earth would want to talk with us about? I think that it would on a philosophical and theological level, and that level would be where they would actually have to talk down to us. I think that they would have ways of showing us how we as a species would become extinct if we continue the way that we are. I think that they would show us the dangers we could be causing in some of the things that we do when we think we are trying to be good stewards of this planet. I think that they would get it clear to us about the damages that we do to this planet through the way that we engage in war. I think that they would talk to us about the amount of wasteful stuff we produce on this planet. I think that they would make us think about all of the material things that we have, and for us to really think about what we really need in our lives.

I think that they would get us to understand how despite our religious beliefs, we are all of the same God, and that God Loves the good that we do on this planet and the real true praises that we give when it comes truly from our heart.

 But I think that the most important thing that we will learn is that all species of this planet really need to work together in much better ways in order for us humans as a species will not become extinct as fast, and that if we continue to go the way that we are that will use the title of a Douglas Adam's book and say, “So Long, And Thanks For All Of The Fish”.

 So what do you think the other life species on this planet would say to us if we could have a conversation with them?