Animals in Heaven

This is a little past due, but 2 weeks ago, my Confirmation Class (in yet another attempt to sidetrack me!) asked if animals/pets go to heaven. A really seemingly important way to answer this question is: "Would it be heaven for you if your pet wasn't there?"

For centuries now, this has been debated in various faiths and has been the subject of much discussion. There are the questions over scriptural passages...and do animals have spirits or souls? What does our faith's doctrine say (or what does the Pope say)? So for the beloved creatures we love and for the companionship and unconditional love they return, I offer these thoughts.

What is heaven? How do you envision heaven? If it's a bunch of floating spirits on clouds with harps, then I'm not sure I'm interested --- seems rather boring and not all that pretty to me. HOWEVER, is it even possible to dream beyond that we do not know? And aren't we constantly reminded that things of God go well beyond us? Why would heaven be different? How can we possibly expect to take our human minds (the average human only uses 10% of the brain anyway, right? Or something like that) and envision what heaven must be like?? How many times have been in a really glorious place or moment in our life and said, "This is heavenly!" Do we mean it?? If so, perhaps the grandeur of the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls or the Alps or a night of movies and hot chocolate, snuggled up on the couch (with another human being or our pet) - should be well-considered when we envision heaven?

From Genesis (1:30 - "And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life....") to Revelation where the vision is of the Christ-figure riding on a white horse, there are various passages pertaining to animals.

Genesis 9:10-11
Genesis 9:17
Psalm 148
Jonah 3:7-8
Jonah 4:11
Mark 16:15
Romans 8:22

Of course there are all the parables and comparisons to sheep, goats...Jesus as the lamb and God as a " mothering hen" watching over "her brood."

I understand and believe God to have brought about all creation - however that happened could be debated - and God brought them into creation to each have an important part within the environment they live. Perhaps, "live" is an important term there not be glossed over. Creatures are living - and life comes from the Spirit. Without spirit, there is no life - as we can witness when a physical body dies. Spirit, however, is eternal and ever-living and does not die.

Regardless of how we experience things to be here on earth and imagine them to be in the beyond, there are some assurances we have: 1) God is love. 2) God wants creation to live well, peacefully and with a love for their creator. 3) Human beings were made in the image of God. 4) God's greatest desire is for us to live with one another just as God would live if physically present and alive in our society today. 5) God wants creation to forever reside alongside Godself and within our very breath, resides God.