Charlie is quite a showman! Since he has come into our care, his bright intellect has led me to teach him many tricks. His doggie tricks started when we first adopted him and he already knew the command, “Sit.” From there, we taught him to lay down. He also learned to “Speak,” on command.
Once we had these basics down, it was on to more complicated tricks. Charlie now can either speak, a loud bark, or whisper, a series of doggie groans that sound like mumbling. He can also play dead when shot with a pointed finger, and roll over.
The most recent addition to his repertoire is to “wave” good-bye. This is where I ask for a paw to shake, but never offer my own hand so that it appears he is waving.
Why do I make my dog do these silly circus tricks? Is it an effort to exert my own authority? Well, yes. In dog mentality, there is a hierarchy and in forcing my dog to do tricks for treats, I enforce my alpha status.
Of course, I never catch Charlie rolling over or waving good-bye of his own accord, he only does these things when a treat is promised. He will, however, start doing some tricks without prompting if the treat jar is mentioned.
It seems that we humans might have this same idea when it comes to God. There are some who preach a “Gospel of Good Fortune.” That is, if we follow all the rules, and do things just like God wants us to, we will be healthy and wealthy in this life. Some folks also think that if they follow all the practices and maintain superficial standards they are all set. It isn’t really that simple, though is it?
Life isn’t just about externals. A quick way to show what I’m talking about is to look at raising children. There aren’t really a set of rules to follow to ensure one has successful children. Each child is an individual, and their particular needs and personality demand different things from their parents in the way of both punishment and reward. Even when your kids move out and have good jobs, it doesn’t mean you’ve necessarily been a good parent.
The same is true in the workforce. Just because you are on time everyday and put in exactly 40 hours, you don’t automatically achieve raises or promotions. It also doesn’t signify you are doing good or conscientious work.
Perhaps the main difference between our secular practices and our religious ones is that our Christian practice is supposed to lead us closer to God. Let me clarify this.
When I go to Mass on Sunday, it isn’t really supposed to be so that I don’t go to hell when I die or because my mom told me to. I go to Mass on Sunday to re-orient my life. I go to place God above myself as the one who deserves worship. I also go to recognize that I am not the only one on this journey. I go to share in the relationship with my brothers and sisters and to encounter Jesus. There are a million other reasons, but I think you catch my drift.
All the practices of being a Christian aren’t for their own sake, they are supposed to help us. In previous generations, folks did things because they were told to, and while that isn’t bad in and of itself, it can leave out some of the most engaging reasons why we would practice our faith.
God isn’t some rulemiser judge watching to see if we have punched our coupon card. He is a loving and gentle companion who seeks us out so we can grow and be better than we were yesterday.
Charlie does some really great tricks, but since he’s just a dog, he only does it for the physical reward. We aren’t dogs. We engage in our faith because it helps us to grow in love of God and one another.
There aren’t any tricks about that. Right, Charlie?
- Christy Cabaniss: Parish Minister
