(Written for a service where we welcomed animals on Sunday 4th October2015 and inspired by the conversations written by John Bell and Graham Maule).
Peter: Jesus?
Jesus: Yes Peter?
Peter: I was wondering …
Jesus: what were you wondering about …
Peter: Well, it’s just … I wanted to know … whether … well … is there room for Rocky in the kingdom of God?
Jesus: You mean Rocky the hamster.
Peter: Yes. I love Rocky. We’ve been friends for years. And you keep talking about
the kingdom of God, and I was wondering is there a place for Rocky? Or is it just for humans.
Jesus: What does the Bible tell us?
Peter: Don’t ask me Jesus, you’re the expert.
Jesus: Well, what does it say in Genesis 1?
Peter: It says God created all the birds of the air and the fish in the sea and all the animals on the ground.
Jesus: And what does God say?
Peter: God said it was good.
Jesus: Yes God says all the creatures of the world are good. And what does it say in the story of Noah?
Peter: That God destroyed the world because of human wickedness.
Jesus: But he saves two of every kind of animal. God is interested not just in
saving Noah and his family, but all creatures. And after the flood when God makes a covenant to never destroy the world again, he says it is a covenant not just with Noah, not just with humans, but all creatures.
Peter: So what are you saying?
Jesus: I’m saying Peter that all creatures matter to God not just humans.
Peter: But what about Rocky? Is there room for Rocky in the kingdom?
Jesus: What does the prophet Isaiah say?
Peter: That God loves hamsters???
Jesus: Well not exactly … Isaiah says that ‘The wolf will lie with the lamb … and the lion will eat straw like the ox … and they will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD’
Peter: What does that mean?
Jesus: This is Isaiah’s picture of God’s intention for creation, for the new heavens and the new earth … it’s a picture where all creation, humans and animals are at peace.
Peter: Wow!
Jesus: Wow indeed!
Peter: So if all creatures matter to God, Rocky matters to God.
Jesus: I’m saying that God declares all that he creates as good –
whether it be trees, animals, or humans;
and everything God creates, God cares for, provides for;
and everything God creates is created to praise God.
As the Psalmist says:
‘let everything that has breath praise the Lord.’
Peter: Oh, Rocky loves to praise God … he’s always squeaking!
Jesus: I’m sure he has a fine voice.
Peter: Thanks Jesus.
Jesus: What for?
Peter: These little chats, always helpful.
Jesus: My pleasure, Peter.
Lovely, Andy. Thanks.
You may (or may not!) know that I've written over a dozen or so of these Jesus/Peter sketches during my ministry (several posted at Connexions) which I used in worship. And I was very fortunate to have two members of my congregation in Swansea who were made for the respective parts.
I've met and engaged with John Bell on several occasions. On the first, when he was lecturing at Swansea University where I was a chaplain, I sheepishly confessed to him that I'd been plagiarising his genre and asked if it was okay. "Sure," he replied, and then invited me to send him some of my sketches. Which I did. Shortly after, I received a postcard from him, which was keep-up-the-good-work encouraging. And on the picture side of the postcard, which was an aerial photo of Edinburgh, he'd circled the building where he and Graham Maule had worked together on the dialogues.
Great guy -- and great gift to the church -- is JB.
Posted by: Kim Fabricius | October 07, 2015 at 09:44 AM
Thanks Kim, I'll try and track down some of your conversations. I love the JB/GM ones. I find it a great medium to do theological reflection.
Posted by: Andy Goodliff | October 07, 2015 at 09:45 AM
I did one between Jesus and Mary here: http://andygoodliff.typepad.com/my_weblog/2015/02/jesus-and-mary-an-off-the-record-conversation.html
Posted by: Andy Goodliff | October 07, 2015 at 09:46 AM