The first horse says, “I lost my last race by a length!” (whatever that is). 

The second moans, “I lost my last race by half a length”. 

The third horse laments, “I lost my last race on protest by a nose!” 

A greyhound came up to their table and said “In my last race I clearly won and they gave the trophy to some other dog!” 

One of the horses turns to the other horses and says “I don’t believe it! A talking dog!”

I’ve told better. Pfft. I’ve told worse!

We learn as children that animals can communicate without words - how whales and dolphins communicate with each other via the “waterwaves” and sometimes over massive distances; and the fascinating way bees communicate distances and even degrees to each other through a series of choreographed dances and movements.

Is this design or evolution? 

Every other animal in this world seems to belong to this world and is content with it. 

We claim we humans are the most intelligent life form on earth and we are; yet who ever teaches a fish to swim?

A foal can stand up and walk around as soon as it is born, but new born human babies can’t (and their mothers aren’t complaining). 

And why is it that we need to learn about the birds and the bees, but the birds and the bees do not?

It’s not about intelligence, it’s about instinct. 

They have it for this world, we don’t, because all the rest of the animal kingdom are already home, but we are not. 

We are strangers in a strange land because our true home is heaven.

This being the case, we are born with different “instincts”, that is, knowledge and love of things that exist in our true home, things the other animals who are home on this earth would not understand; things like love, truth, beauty, morality, the desire to see right done by all humans and evil avoided. 

As beings with an intellect we can achieve high standards of anything we put our mind to, but through learning and sacrifice, not instinct. 

We often have a sense of restlessness that leaves us longing for a place where we can feel at home, and even when this hurts, it’s not a bad thing. 

A cow may be content to stand in a field all day and eat grass, but we should be restless for bigger things. 

This restlessness is a constant reminder that we are intended for higher things. 

I don’t believe in reincarnation and I didn’t believe in it in any of my previous lives either.

Seriously, a belief in reincarnation is the beginnings of a realisation that life doesn’t end at the grave.

We hear somebody we knew has just died and our first reaction is denial; we’ll even reply “You’re joking!”, even though it’s the most unlikely possibility under the circumstances.

The restless desire in our soul to love and be loved in return is constant.

It does not cost anything and is not only for this world but is a reminder in this world that there is love after death and this love lies beyond this world with God and those we loved in this world and those we didn’t and many more we still have to love.

FATHER BRENDAN LEE

www.bordermail.com.au/

Twitter: @frbrendanelee