A thought came to me a few minutes ago, and it’s something I really must pursue. If you’re up to it, come along for the journey…
We’ve all heard someone say that, when they look into the eyes of their child, they see Heaven–or another similar statement that’s supposed to make us all warm and fuzzy, and respond with an appreciative, “Awwwww…”
I’ve never had any such feelings toward children. I mean, kids are OK, but they’re not unique. I love a couple of children, the offspring of friends. I have relationships with them, and adore them. I’ll never post a picture on my FaceBook wall of a baby…doing anything. (Cute kitties? Absolutely. Horses? Always.)
I write that babies aren’t unique because, practically speaking:: every human being who lands on this planet gets here the same way. We’re all babies at one time–we grow up–and on the other end (if we’re lucky)–we’re old people before taking the last stage outta Dodge.
I may be broken–that’s been suggested before–but by the time I was 16, I knew that I didn’t want to have children. I knew that I’d be a far-better Mother to four-leggeds (and birds) than to human children. I never felt the need or drive to reproduce myself.
So I don’t get it when parents claim to see angels, or Heaven, or Divine Bliss, itself, in the eyes of their children.
That which I DO get is the Bedouin expression, “The wind of Heaven is that which blows through a horse’s ears.”And I’ve heard scores of people--perhaps thousands, by this time in my Life–who speak of the eyes of a horse as being the window into Eternity. I may not be able to see angels tap dancing through the eyes of a human baby–but I have seen, most definitely, at least a fraction of the inner workings of God’s Mind when I gaze into the eyes of a equine.
Follow me on this discussion, please: virtually every faith path has an idea of what God looks like–or should look like. (Those paths that don’t have an idea of the visage of God think of the Divine as being not a visual being, at all, but rather as pure Spirit.)
As a Christian, I’m quite aware that we have triune God. The bottom line is that, God is Spirit. (I won’t get into the very complicated theology of Jesus as God/human. This isn’t a theology column.)
Even though God is Spirit in Christian thought, still there persists the image of an old man with a long, white beard. Clad in white, He sits on a throne, waiting to judge the world.
Where this idea of an old man came into being, I do not know. But somewhere in the backroom of Christian pseudo-theology lurks an old, bearded man. (Who evolved eventually into the model for Santa Claus.) And, while I won’t discuss theology at length, I’ll tell you that there is no evidence to support that image. Another theological myth, like the Three Wise Men being present at Jesus’ birth.)
I regress! (But y’all know me well enough to know that I do that, on my circuitous route to finding that which I believe to be Truth.)
So, regardless of your faith (or, non-faith) path–and regardless of how you envision God–let me post a hypothetical: what if God looks like a horse?
Think about it for a moment: those of us who know, love and understand horses know that they’re kind, intelligent, innocent, good, loving and accepting. They’re excellent judges of character: if a horse has intuited that you’re a rotten person–no doubt, you are.
Horses are fiercely strong, with a power and might that cannot be a mere accident, or product of mere evolution.
The conformation of their strong bodies and the perfection of their faces touches humans all the way to our souls. For thousands of years–starting with the first cave drawing–horses have inspired humans to want to capture them in art. Whether paintings, photography, sculpture, song, literature, poetry–The Horse is wedded to the human spirit in a way that’s…otherworldly.
So what if these attributes–this strength, power, might, beauty, intelligence, kindness, goodness, innocence–etc.–were given to The Horse precisely because The Horse is a reflection of God, God’s Self?
The fact is that it doesn’t really matter what God looks like–if, indeed, God looks like anything.
But IF God looks like a horse–and if, indeed, the eyes of a horse reveal Truths and depth and reality about the very God Who made the entire Universe–then humans must ask themselves a simple question:
“Looking into the eye of a horse–and seeing the intelligence and kindness of God there–how can anyone abuse any horse?”
How can we look a horse in the eye–and think that maybe (just maybe) this magnificent animal, may indeed be a reflection of God’s Own Image–and continue to tolerate abusive, murderous assaults on horses? If God put The Horse on Earth as a companion, a friend, a therapist–and as a reminder that God always provides someone to love us, even when we feel absolutely beaten up by the world–if God put that animal on our Earth for that purpose–how can we allow any human to abuse, neglect or slaughter a horse?
How can we allow soring to continue? Or chasing down wild horses with helicopters–a U.S. government-sanctioned activity? How could we turn a blind eye toward the soring, chasing-down or mass murder of God?
It may be that, beyond the milk of human kindness, when humans hear the screams of a horse who’s being slaughtered–humans weep because we recognize that, not only is an animal suffering needlessly, but perhaps those very screams are the anguished outcries of a loving God, Whose heart is broken again in that moment.
If every person saw God in the eyes of a horse–no person could neglect or abuse horses. If you thought you were beating God–or at least, an animal who had been given to you, to remind You of His undying love–you’d stop beating, wouldn’t you?
I’m not suggesting that God looks like a Horse. (I have no idea what God looks like, any more than do you.)
I am, however, stating that no human yet has put her/his finger on why (exactly) equines touch the human spirit and connect with us as they do. No other animal on this Earth moves as many human souls as The Horse. While I don’t know what God does look like–IF He looks like anything– I do believe that He created horses with the idea in mind that at least one of His animals would have the innate ability to nestle into the human heart and comfort, console and bless us in His stead.
You may think I’ve gone too far this time, but think about it: we humans who do have a connection with horses understand the depth of their spirit, and all that they have to offer. Do you think that heavenly comfort like that is coincidental?
Or did the Creator of the Universe give us The Horse as a companion who offers both physical and spiritual comfort?
Do we not, therefore, owe it to these heavenly messengers, to defend, protect and love them? Can we continue to tolerate abuse, neglect and slaughter of these messengers of God?
If you’re involved in the chain of slaughter: save your own soul. Get out. Get therapy, for surely there’s something very broken about anyone who could slaughter a horse.
If you’re an abuser, or neglect your horse(s): give your horse(s) to someone who will love them, and treat them like the gift(s) from God that they are. Get help for yourself–your abuse of your animal is symptomatic of a deep illness in your own soul.
If you’re a lover of horses, and you recognize the attributes of the Divine in these amazing beings –let’s join our hearts, souls and efforts to work harder than ever to assure that the mass, culturally-accepted practices are made both illegal and unacceptable in every corner.
What if God looks like a Horse? You wouldn’t beat, sore, round-up, torture and murder God…would you?
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