Praying about Seal Hunts

[joy2]

One of the hardest things for me to deal with is violence towards children and animals. The seal hunting season has just begun in Canada and of course, there are images of it on the Internet. I wasn't looking for it, but couldn't avoid seeing an image of a hunter about to club a seal. The emotion I felt almost overwhelmed me, and what I want to know is how in the world to pray about something so disturbing.

[kidlit]

I hear you on this one. I actually can't watch animal movies because even faux depictions of animal suffering are too much to bear.

However, I try to remind myself frequently that I can't be of any help if I'm buying into the lie--i.e. if I'm believing anything about God's creation other than what's true. If I'm seeing something besides His good, loving government--protecting and sheltering us all. This isn't just a cover-my-eyes-and-pretend-it's-not-happening approach. It's actually about honoring God--and about being the most help to those (animals included) that seem to be abused or suffering.

So how do I honor God and what God has created, even in the face of something disturbing? I start by asking myself the question: What is God seeing? Sometimes I plug in some (or all) of the seven synonyms for God that MBE gives in Science and Health. What is Love seeing about its creation? What is Mind knowing about its precious ideas? etc.

Asking myself these questions (and answering them) helps me bring my thoughts into line with God's view. And I'm convinced that as I catch even a glimpse of this view, as I see just a smidgen of the true nature of creation--as harmless, harmonious, interconnected, peaceful--that this makes a difference in the world, too.