Animal Connections (Day 6 of Creation at Chartres)

While creating humanity,God was also imagining a meaningful relationship with the animals and birds. Sensing our connection to the other branches of the large family of God helps us to stay in tune with God’s intention.

My prayer response:

Life-giver, open my heart wider to all my siblings in our family. Help me to value the life that courses through our bodies and connects us to each other and back to You.

Biblical touchstones:

God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good. …Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; Genesis 1:24-26
God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” So out of the ground the LORD God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. Genesis 2:18-20

Invitation to prayer:

Notice how Adam’s head faces the animals. Turn your attention to an animal or bird that means something special to you. Feel the connection. How are your emotions, thoughts, and senses inspiring you to pray?

Photos:
God creating Adam beside the animals in the Garden of Eden as depicted by thirteenth century sculptors. The outer left voussoir of the central bay of the north porch at the Chartres Cathedral in France.

Related posts on the creation sculptures at the Chartres Cathedral:

The Garden of Eden

God Creating the Garden of Eden

The Animals Created by God (Day 6 of Creation at Chartres)

God Creating the Animals (Day 6 of Creation at Chartres)

God Imagining Humanity (Day 5 of Creation at Chartres)

Imagining Humanity and Creating the Bird and Fish (Day 5 of Creation at Chartres)

The Sun and the Moon (Day 4 of Creation at Chartres)

God Creating the Sun and Moon (Day 4 of Creation at Chartres)

Vegetation (Day 3 of Creation at Chartres)

Creation Plants and Trees

The Firmament