Humane Treatment
Week 3
Living Organically
I have a vivid memory from my last visit to a dairy farm. There was a sheltered pen that housed the newborn calves, who were being hand-fed from bottles because they had been separated from their mothers at birth. We were told that one of the calves was less than a day old; it still had a bloody umbilical cord hanging from its abdomen. That day I felt like a witness to a crime against nature. Babies being taken from their mothers to be fed formula so that the milk intended for them could be given to humans.
It’s yet another disturbing development that has arisen from our increasingly artificial mentality. By viewing living creatures as commodities to be exploited, we justify our inhumane treatment of them. For the animals in our food supply, this means abominable living conditions, over-breeding, and drastically shortened life spans.
But the exploitation in our society extends beyond animals. Our human relationships are also rife with manipulation and domination. We so often seem to be more concerned with what others can do for us or give to us than for who they are.
Jesus shows us another way, the way of love.
Scripture Reading: John 4:1-42
Right There:
What do we see Jesus doing and hear Him saying in these passages?
Think About It:
What do these scriptures teach us about the ways of God?
Personal Reaction:
What is my response to how this scripture portrays God? Am I surprised, relieved, encouraged, frustrated? Why?