Everybody Deserves Unconditional Love

Like many of you, I’m discerning how to pray for people who are hurting other people I love.

I spend too much time trying to figure out our current President and I’ve wondered this: Has he ever experienced unconditional love? It helps me try to make sense out of what I consider to be cruel words and actions. I wonder if he’s ever been in relationship with anyone who doesn’t “love him” for his money or his power. This is my prayer for the 47th President – that his heart would be melted by unconditional love from someone. Anyone. Maybe he needs a sweet dog, although I’m not sure it would help.

We can count ourselves utterly blessed if even one person in this world loves us without qualifiers or requirements. If there is more than one, we are drenched in cosmic favor. If we’ve been unconditionally loved by an animal – that counts.

Years ago, the Call to Worship on a random Sunday in my church was from Psalm 36:

Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
   your judgements are like the great deep;
   you save humans and animals alike, O Lord.

Unbeknownst to me, there was a guest sitting in the pews that day who was so bereft that morning that she decided to find a church. Her dog had died the day before. Her best friend for 14 years. Her family.

She sat among strangers feeling overcome with grief when she heard the liturgist recite Psalm 36. Her ears perked up when she heard these words: “You save humans and animals alike, O Lord.“ It felt like they were chosen especially for her. Maybe they were.

I know all this because she approached me after worship and told me about her dog and the comfort she received from that Call to Worship. Simple words remembering that it’s God who first loves us unconditionally even – and especially – in times of grief.

This morning we learned that the dog we’ve loved for over ten years whom we found on August 2, 2014 on a highway in Onslow County, N.C. had a fast-growing tumor which was causing the pain that had incapacitated him over the weekend. We said good-bye later this afternoon.

His name was Spense, so named because he was very expensive for a free dog. After taking him to a shelter near where we found him with no identification, it was discovered that he had all the worms and he had not been neutered. Of course we adopted him, signed off on surgery and bought the meds. And it wasn’t cheap.

But it was so worth it. We loved him so much but – honestly – he loved us even more. Unconditionally. Sometimes I admit that I couldn’t rub his stomach for a minute longer. I dreaded early morning walks in sub-freezing weather. He had a delicate stomach that required special attention. Still we loved him.

But Spense loved us more. Even this past weekend when he was in terrible discomfort, he wagged his tail when he saw me coming down the hall. He was always happy to see us.

Everybody deserves unconditional love . I wish this for everyone. And I thank God for all those who love me and have loved me, including sweet Spense.

Image of Spense Edmiston Lyon, Kid of Kids, Hound of Hounds (~2013-2025)