But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
Job 12:7-10 (NRSVUE)
the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you,
and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
Who among all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
In his hand is the life of every living thing
and the breath of every human being.
During our sharing time today, I asked everyone to turn to their neighbor and share the name of their favorite teacher. Now some of you may have thought back to kindergarten, elementary school, or even Sunday School to that teacher who took you under their wing when you were just starting out. Or maybe you thought about a middle school teacher who saw something in you and encouraged you even when you were going through those difficult preteen years. Perhaps it was a high school teacher that you admired and looked up to or even a college professor that challenged you to work even harder to be all that you could be.
Teachers are such an important part of our journey through life because they help to prepare us for what is coming next. They help to open our eyes to new understandings and possibilities and they not only plant seeds of knowledge and encouragement, but they uncover gifts within us, and finally, they help to fan the flames of passion that call us out into the world. So, it is only natural that in our years of schooling and education, we connect with some teachers more than others.
Now teachers deserve all of our thanks and admiration because their job is selfless and underpaid and often unending. And friends, please know that I mean no disrespect to professional teachers with today’s message, but I also think it’s important for us to understand that our world is filled with other kinds of teachers too.
In the storybook that Teagan introduced us to, Skoshie the cat went into the forest, a place where most people didn’t go because it was said to be filled with strange wild beings. Well, in the forest, Skoshie met two of those strange wild beings, an octopus and a dragon, who ended up being very nice and teaching her new things, because, in the forest, everyone looked beyond how things were supposed to be, and in so, doing they experienced and learn new things.
Friends, the cover of our bulletin reminds us every week that the ministers here in Oldtown are all of our members and friends. That means that each and every one of you is a minister and, therefore, a teacher and a guide for others. It doesn’t matter your education, your age, or what you do for a living. After all, just this morning, we had an amazing teacher when Teagan came forward to share her thoughts and insights with us.
Friends, I have to tell you that I often learn more from our Household Huddlers than I ever learned in seminary because the things that they say and do are humble and honest, and real. They are not trying to impress anyone; they are just stating plainly what they see and experience and what that means to their faith. The truth is, every day of our lives, we are surrounded by brilliant teachers. Sometimes they are colleagues, neighbors, church members, or children, and other times they are different parts of God’s Amazing Creation. And they have no words but can only teach by the things they do and the examples they set.
This week, there is a big celebration going on in the Thibeault house because Rufus, our Red Bone Coonhound, is turning nine years old! Now over the years, Rufus has been the inspiration for many email devotionals, spiritual practices, and sermons here in Oldtown. You might even remember that years ago, an entire Advent devotional was centered around Rufus as he, through pictures of himself, taught us about Advent words and themes. What an amazing teacher Rufus has been! And just last week, when the weather was unbearably hot, Rufus, my dog, and Cornbread, my cat, showed us that the best place to be on a hot afternoon is curled up together in front of the one window air conditioner that we have in our house. They are pretty smart if you ask me! The truth is, some of the most amazing teachers are found in the most unexpected places.
There is a movie on Netflix called “My Octopus Teacher.” Now when I first saw it, I thought that it was a joke. After all, how could an octopus be a teacher? But then I watched it and found myself moved to tears by its depth and beauty. It’s a movie about a free diver who forms a bond with an octopus off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa. Over a year’s time, the octopus teaches the man all kinds of lessons about the fragility of life and the importance of humanity’s connection with nature. Who would ever imagine that such an amazing teacher would be found in a kelp forest off the coast of Africa?
But as we heard from the book of Job today, “Ask the animals, and they will teach you, the birds of the air, and they will tell you, ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you, and the fish of the sea will declare to you.” Folks, the truth is, as adult human beings, we often think we know it all. But friends, the truth is, we have so much to learn!
So, brothers and sisters in Christ, as you go out into your busy week ahead, open your eyes to see the lessons all around you. Take a minute to watch the line of ants in your driveway and the way they work together to support their colony as they teach you about the importance of working together. Or watch the squirrel in the tree behind your house as he works to get birdseed from your birdfeeders, teaching you about the importance of creativity and invention. Sit with your pets at home and be reminded of just how good unconditional love can feel, especially after a long stressful day. If you see a rabbit eating grass in your neighbor’s yard, watch how she stops and listens for a minute before making a decision to run or to keep eating, a wonderful reminder that we should sit and listen before reacting to situations around us. And finally, remember that in God’s Amazing Creation, we are all connected, and we are not as different as we may have thought!
Did you know that dolphins call each other by name, elephants comfort their upset friends, and primates use tools? Folks, there are endless examples that prove that we as humans are not as different as we might think. So, we need to learn to live in God’s Amazing Creation with balance, compassion, and kindness, understanding that some of our greatest teachers can be found in the most unexpected places!
My friends, may it be so. Thanks be to God, Amen!
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