Fearless Faith

Can old dogs learn new tricks? Pet owners and animal behaviorists alike say absolutely yes based on their observations, experience and no small amount of applied science. Popular consensus suggests that dogs are not only able to learn specific new tasks during focused sessions, but that they also demonstrate the capacity for continuous learning and adaptation to real-time events. Who’s to say that dogs aren’t smarter than humans? A dog’s nose is thousands of times more sensitive than our own. How much do they learn simply by sticking their head out of a car window and letting the air rush by? Are we able to process that much information all at once?

For humans there is also a capacity to learn new tricks and to adapt to changing landscapes. Young minds are particularly adept at grasping new languages, even down to the nuanced inflections and dialects that accompany them. Picking up a new language requires more than piecing together simple equivalent words or phrases. The earlier a child is exposed to new languages, the more likely they are to connect organically, a point where flowing back and forth between languages is no longer a novelty but the norm.

Out of new language comes a preferred vocabulary. At first it is limited and somewhat narrow. As experience is gained, however, vocabulary becomes a much more powerful element to consider. It opens doors and leads us to other passages of mind and body of which we were not aware. It represents the aha moment, an epiphany of thought that jolts us awake and brings us to attention.

The pandemic with all its collateral issues and social implications reminds us that different languages are evolving, allowing a more thoughtful and knowing vocabulary to emerge. It is a vocabulary that encourages reflection and the setting aside of willful ignorance. It is a powerful tool that promotes wholeness over brokenness and a compassion that trumps selfish desire. So why are churches so silent on the unending foolishness inherent in politics nowadays? The last I checked, there is no exclusivity in the call to build the Kingdom. It involves us all.

A new vocabulary of compassion is overdue, its origins discoverable in world cultures and religions, including those beyond the Christian experience. One need not travel far to experience it, for it is extant and available in our own families and churches and communities if we but acknowledge it. We all recognize the vibrance in people who are life-long learners, those willing to ask questions, explore new paths, and invite others to walk alongside. Compassion is commitment to both language and resultant vocabulary. It is within our reach to learn new tricks, apply new understandings, and assemble them in a safe place in order to share with others.

The psalmist reminds, “The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love (Ps. 145:8 NIV).” Can we emulate the same? Must we learn it from scratch or can we recall its origins in our lives and the lives of others? Like old dogs learning new tricks, we have the capacity for compassion. Take a chance, roll down the windows, and breathe deeply. We might be surprised what we discover of ourselves.