We're starting this blog to try out some ideas we've discussed between ourselves for a couple of years. We think we see connections between two things that, at first glance, seem very different: living with dogs and living the Christian life. We're hoping to develop these ideas by subjecting them to two severe tests. One, seeing how they look in writing (who was it that said, "I never know what I think about something until I write it down?"); two, by getting reactions from others (if anyone pays any attention anymore to one blog among the 50 million or so out there).
This idea may seem totally wacky to others. To tell the truth, seeing it put down in black and white, it looks a little odd to us. Maybe it would look better if it were expressed more abstractly or philosophically - and in fact, we think there's more nuance to the idea than the way we've initially stated it. But to get started, we'll put it down as simply as possible and go from there. And to keep this initial post brief, we'll just explain how we got the idea.
We're a couple of fairly recent converts to Orthodox Christianity - sometimes called "Eastern Orthodox." Most people think "Greek Orthodox" when we say "Orthodox" (if they don't assume we're Jewish) - and the Greeks are indeed Orthodox, but so are a lot of other peoples around the world. We're Antiochian Orthodox, which is originally Arab, though we ourselves - like the majority of Antiochian Orthodox in America - are non-Arab converts. Whatever the ethnic flavor, Orthodoxy involves a regular ascetic practice which requires, among other things, fasting from rich foods, including meat and dairy, on certain days and during certain periods of the year. The idea is that if we learn to control our human tendency toward gluttony, we can apply that self control to the bigger challenges - like lust, envy, anger, and so on.
We also own a dog - a black Lab mix who is finally growing out of puppyhood after three years. When we first got Bounder, we took him to obedience classes as an alternative to just watching the house be destroyed. Our pup came out of the classes much improved. One of the key things we taught him was "leave it." It's a simple command that trains the dog not to snap up something that falls in front of his nose, but to restrain himself until his owner says "OK," which tells him it's OK to scarf up the tidbit. Eventually, the dog learns enough self-control that he will "leave it" indefinitely - and doesn't need to be rewarded by finally getting the treat after all. Obedience, at that point, is reward enough.
Perhaps you see where this is going. One day, one of us walked through the kitchen in his office on a fast day and was tempted by a platter of rich snacks someone had put out. He looked at the goodie and said to himself "Leave it!" as he would have said it to Bounder. Immediately the craving was quenched - at least long enough to walk briskly past the table and leave the temptation behind. We started to think: is it possible there's a connection here? Just as we work with the dog to help him learn discipline, does God want to work with us in a similar way? Dogs aren't people, of course, and spirituality is far more than just following rules or orders - but all the same, are there things we can learn from the comparison?
This entry is long enough already, so we'll just answer that question with - "we will see" - probably the only answer we have right now.
