Letter to the Editor: The sights - and smells - of spring

Dear Editor,
Springtime is always a joy. Blooming flowers remind us that death isn’t permanent.
Baby calves remind us that life is tender and beautiful and strong and worth fighting for.
Opening the window to let a breeze in feels like the earth herself is taking a well-deserved sigh of relief after the harshness of winter.
Springtime is always a joy. As the feedlots thaw, the proof that cattle are well-fed seep into the air and fill our nostrils, our backyards and even our living rooms. The blue sky becomes darkened as ditches are burnt and sirens wail as more-than-ditches are burnt.
Springtime is always a joy. I serve as a pastor of a church here in town, and as I unlocked the door to Saint John’s this morning, wondering what the day would bring, I saw sitting on the walkway to God’s house a lovely pile of proof that the dogs in our community are well-fed. I’m no detective, but this was probably a large breed of dog – possibly a mix between a mastiff and a Clydesdale. I like to think this was one of Lovell’s many free-roaming dogs trying to leave some sort of gift at the doorstep of the God who created him. Not having a squirrel to offer as a burnt offering, nor any income to tithe, nor any words of praise to offer up as thanksgiving to the Almighty, this was all he could muster. Unable to kneel, this dog decided to squat instead and, having finished his prayer, made his way northbound on Montana Avenue to see what other ways he could spread the joy of springtime.
I don’t wonder if sometimes what we think is an offering to the Most Holy Trinity is doing exactly what this dog did. When, instead of receiving as a gift what our Creator has done for us, we try to do works for Him (as though God needed our good works) and they end up looking and smelling like a pile of digested dog food on a sidewalk.
God doesn’t need your good works. But your neighbor does need your good works. If you’re struggling to think of an example, you could, for instance – and this is just an example – clean up your dog’s droppings instead of letting them sit and fester and attract flies.
Springtime is always a joy. Whether it’s blooming flowers, grilling burgers, burning ditches, thawing silage or just a small gift from a local dog, springtime is always beautiful, because it’s proof that there is a creator who thinks that all life is beautiful. Winter comes every year, but never without the blessing of springtime and warmth and sunshine and joy and peace. On this side of the New Heavens and the New Earth there will always be a stink associated with beauty. Nonetheless, the beauty is there if you have eyes to see it.
And to the dear dog who attempted to worship here at Saint John’s, I would only direct you to the 23rd chapter of the book of Deuteronomy, verses 13 and 14:
“And you shall have a trowel with your tools, and when you sit down outside, you shall dig a hole with it and turn back and cover up your excrement. Because the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and to give up your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy, so that he may not see anything indecent among you and turn away from you.”
Springtime is always a joy. The eternal spring will be a joy beyond our comprehension.
Jacob Benson