No matter who you have the closest relationship with, it is obvious that there is a string of connection between living things. I don’t care if it is a person, a pet, or a plant, life is recognizable to other life. It is through the recognition of that connection where compassion and mercy are allowed to actualize because the “I” and “you” have too many commonalities to ignore.

During Catholic Mass there is a point where we all shake hands or hug or kiss and say, “peace be with you” – meaning the peace of Christ. My pastor, who is from India, says that their custom is to put the palms of their hands together at their chests (like traditional praying-style hands), bow, and say, “namaste,” to each other – which means, “the divine in me recognizes the divine in you.” No matter what tradition you use to express the sentiment, knowing and acknowledging that spark of life that can only come from God seems to be essential to making respectful community.

“Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:7)

Here are a couple of things I ran across today that I would count at least as a smidgen of proof  that there is a special bond at work between people and their pets. These focus specifically on dogs, but they could just as easily be any living thing who is special to you. When you watch the video, have some tissues handy because it is heart-wrentchingly beautiful. I just don’t know if anyone could deny that a bond so special isn’t due to a divine connection.

Denali from FELT SOUL MEDIA on Vimeo.