Man’s best friend
Proverbs 18:24. There is friend that sticks closer than a brother.
Cats are not generally considered man’s best friend or known for their heroic acts. However, their noses are much more sensitive than humans. Tom, who belonged to Sue, demonstrated this when he detected an unusual odour on Sue. He began meowing persistently and kept scratching at her. Sue naturally assumed that there was something wrong with Tom. She took him to the vet for a check-up and it turned out that he, however, had a clean bill of health. The vet suggested that the cat might be responding to smelling something unusual with Sue. Based on this advice, Sue went to the doctor, and was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Sue’s situation is not unique; every cat owner can attest to the remarkable instincts of their feline pets.
Another incredible story is the story of Schnautzie. One night, in the middle of night, his owner woke up from a roaring sound from the bathroom. The cat was responding to the carbon monoxide leak from a broken gas pipe. Had this not been the case, his owner would likely have died from the toxic gas.
And then there is our canine friends. For centuries dogs have been considered man’s best friend. They are often associated with their loyalty to their owners. Their unwavering loyalty was the inspiration for many films. Hachiko was one such dog. He was a male Akita dog born in November 1923 in Odate, Japan. Every day Hachiko waited for his owner at the train station and walked him home. For ten years after his owner, Professor Hidesaburo Uneo, died in 1925, he kept going to the Shibuya Station every day, waiting for his owner. His loyalty made him a national symbol in Japan.
Another renown narrative is the story of Jock of the Bushveld. Sir James Percy Fitz Patrick’s adventures with his loyal dog, Jock, in the South African Bushveld during the 1880s inspired the movie “Jock of the Bushveld". It has endured as a classic tale of friendship and loyalty, resonating with generations of readers for its depiction of the bond between a man and his dog. Every dog owner has his own story to tell to endorse the loyalty and friendship that dogs demonstrate.
Where dogs are considered a man’s best friend, horses write history. This dates back many centuries. Wolraad Woltemade worked as a VOC soldier in Cape Town. On the 1 June 1773 history was written when fourteen men were saved by one man and his horse. The ship De Jonge Thomas was shipwreck off the west coast of Cape Town and Woltemade and his horse rode out seven times to save the shipwrecked soldiers. Instead of Woltemade becoming a hero, the general opinion was that only an obtrusive fool would lose his life in this way. Today however, this remarkable display of bravery is celebrated and the statue of Wolraad Woltemade and his brave horse, stands proudly at Loxton Heritage Park in Milnerton, Cape Town, which eternalised Woltemade and his horse’s bravery.
Another amazing true story is that of Seabiscuit. Seabiscuit had an unpropitious start to his racing career. He was a small horse only 15.2 hands high. He was not the best performing horse and won only 10 out of his first 40 races. No one expected that Seabiscuit would write history to become the top money-winning racehorse up to the 1940’s. The movie based on his life in 2003, Seabiscuit, was nominated for Best Picture.
These stories of heroism, comfort, loyalty and companionship enrich everyone’s life. To celebrate these qualities, cynologist, Heinrich Zimmerman, worked tirelessly to promote a World Animal Day. He scheduled the event to align with Saint Francis Day, the patron saint of animals and long-time animal activist. World Animal Day was first celebrated on 24 March 1925 and in 1931, at a congress held in Florence, Italy, the 4th of October was set aside as International World Animal Day. It is a day marked on every animal lover’s calendar.
Man has been created with an innate desire for companionship and friendship. Our desire is partially fulfilled in having pets who protect us and show their unconditional love. This desire, however only finds its ultimate fulfilment in a friend who can protect man, save man, be loyal to man and is prepared to give his life for man.
This is exactly what Jesus did almost 2 000 years ago. The 14th of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar AD 30, became the pivotal event marked on the calendar of nearly 6 000 years of human existence. On the eve of the crucifixion Jesus told His disciples that He no longer called them servants, but friends. Jesus imparted all that He had heard from His Father to them, showing the intimate relationship between Jesus and His disciples. The statement Jesus made to endorse His love when He ate the last Passover with them is recorded in John 15:13 “Greater love hath no man than this: that a man lays down his life for his friends”, KJV. He not only saved man from physical danger, like man’s animal friends, but delivered man from eternal damnation.
The age of humankind is about to draw to a close and once again a Man on a horse will write history, or rather, conclude history. On the isle of Patmos, John without any prologue, when he addressed the seven churches in Asia in the book of Revelation, stated “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all the tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him”.
Revelation 19:11-21 describes this spectacular event. John saw a rider on a white horse, and the armies of heaven arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, following Him on white horses. The rider is identified as the Word of God. This unambiguously identifies the rider as Jesus. On His robe and on His thigh, He has this name written: King of kings and Lord of lords.
What a day in history this will be!
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it, is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war, Revelation 19:11.
