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Our dog has an operation scheduled for early March.  And – in preparation for the six weeks required “bed rest” that follows – we have bought a “crate”.

For those not in the know a “crate” is a PC word for the less attractive word … “cage”.  Which a crate actually is.  A cage with bars and a door that locks.  Bars that a dog can see through – but bars that keep a dog in the cage when we (the owners) wish it.

The operation requires little or no movement.  For six weeks.  The cage crate requires familiarisation.  Within the next six weeks.  We hope.

We have made the cage crate as attractive and safe as we can.  We are using treats to interest our dog to have a look inside.  We are leaving the door open so our dog does not feel threatened.  We are taking our time for our dog to become familiar with the cage crate – to feel safe with the cage crate – to be comfortable with the end game: to lock our dog inside the cage crate when we wish and for our dog to happy to be locked inside this cage crate.

It is for the dog’s own good.  So that the operation is a success.  So that our dog has full health and mobility again.  We know best.  The dog is just a dog who doesn’t see the big picture.  And everyone says the cage crate is a safe place.  Everyone.

All we have to do is train our dog to believe that.

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Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to Jesus, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day. “No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.” Mark 2:18-22

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I am finding the bible a joy to read nowadays.  Much more than when I was taught how to read the bible.  I was taught the bible is a safe place – my personal cage crate.  I was taught to believe that.  Taught to believe that this bible stuff really happened.  That science couldn’t explain the ways of God.  Taught to worship God for killing entire populations.  Taught to fear God for smiting His enemies.  Taught to airbrush out the difficult verses when arguing sharing the Gospels with others.  Taught to believe to accept what I was taught.

Trained to believe what I was taught.

To forgive the sinner but not the sin.  Like gay people.  Like atheists.  Like other faiths of a different god.  Like those who won’t be convinced by arguing sharing the Gospel.  Like those who will not go to church.  Who will not believe what they are supposed to believe because what they are supposed to believe is what I was taught to believe and what I was taught to accept that I should believe.

Like “unconditional love” is for God and me in my next lifetime – but not for me in this lifetime.  Because I am sinner (through no fault of my own).  A sinner who cannot help but be a sinner.  And sinners can’t love unconditionally.  Only God can.  Because God is without sin.  And I am not (I was taught repeatedly).   So we need laws and rules and forgiveness (repeatedly).  All so that I am saved for eternity.  Unlike the sinners who are not saved (or refuse to be saved).

Those who refuse to be trained to believe like I was.

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We have six weeks to train our dog to accept her cage crate.

It’s for her own good.

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