Summary

The author reflects on the unconditional love and perseverance demonstrated by their dog, Shana, towards their father, drawing parallels to biblical descriptions of love and the power of a faithful companion to transcend human emotional barriers.

Abstract

The article "Dogs Are Better People Than People" is a personal narrative that explores the transformative power of a dog's love. The author recounts the initial resistance of their father to their first dog, Shana, and how over time, Shana's persistent and unwavering affection led to a deep bond between her and the author's father. This relationship reveals the father's emotional immaturity due to his own childhood abandonment, yet it also exemplifies the essence of love as described in 1 Corinthians 13:7 - a love that always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. The author uses Shana's story to contemplate the nature of love, questioning whether they, or indeed any person, can love with the same selflessness and resilience as a dog. The article concludes by suggesting that such pure love is reminiscent of the love shown by a Savior, emphasizing the divine nature of unconditional love and its capacity to heal and connect deeply with others.

Opinions

The author's father, initially hostile towards Shana, eventually formed a deep and affectionate bond with her.
Shana's perseverance in showing love, regardless of initial rejection, is seen as akin to the biblical definition of love.
The author believes that watching the relationship between their father and Shana taught them valuable lessons about love and perseverance.
The article suggests that loving only those who love us in return is easy and common, but not as profound as unconditional love.
The author admires the way Shana loved without expecting anything in return, which they see as a reflection of divine love.
The author posits that to love like Shana did, one must either be a dog or a Savior, implying that such love is extraordinary and rare among humans.

Dogs Are Better People Than People

And other thoughts on love

“Near is the fruit of perseverance, not passivity.” — Alicia Britt Chole

Shana was my first dog. My then-boyfriend, and now husband, brought her over to my parent’s house as a fuzzy pup and my dad growled, “Get it out of here.”

Like all kids of the ’80s, I knew he was more smoke than fire so we hid her for a few days and then he stopped growling.

He complained over the years about her shedding and chewing his slippers (cliche but true!). But as she matured and he mellowed, they became best of friends, sitting outside on the porch, taking leisurely walks together, and lounging by the TV.

This man, who never captured a single photograph of his children or signed a birthday card to his wife, took rolls and rolls of 35-millimeter film featuring the lovely Shana laying in the grass, playing in the snow, or sleeping at his feet.

When Shana died my dad was devastated. He had never handled loss well, being a product of abandonment as a child. In many ways, he was very much a child emotionally.

Shana in my parents’ front yard. Her name, Shana, means beautiful. -author’s photo

I learned more about my dad by watching his slow acceptance of Shana than I ever learned from his words. He kept his pain tied up in twisted knots in his heart that revealed itself in anger, bitterness, and a cold distance that was hard for a sensitive little girl to understand.

But I also learned some things about love from watching the evolution of his acceptance of Shana.

1 Corinthians 13 describes what love is and what love does. Verse 7, specifically, says that [love] “always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (NIV)

It sounds like the description of man’s best friend, and in my case, my dad’s best friend, Shana.

Me and Bella. Bella also means beautiful. -author’s photo

Shana persevered until my father was able to love her in return.

Perseverance isn’t just about striving for success or winning a race, sometimes it’s pressing forward in love despite rejection and shame until love wins.

My dad was a hard, bitter man, hurt and rejected as a child and unable to show much love. But Shana never took any of that into account and just loved him faithfully until she captured his heart.

I ask myself if I’ve ever loved like that? Loved despite rejection. Loved despite indifference, in the face of misplaced blame and rage. Could I love like that?

I love those that love me and that’s easy. The Bible says anyone can do that! (Luke 6) Like me and I’ll like you back, follow me and I’ll follow you back, love me and I’ll be loyal to you. I love my kids and I love my husband, and of course, I love my dogs!

But to love when there’s no sign that love will be returned? To persevere in the security that love always wins despite the way circumstances look. To hope and never despair, and to look past the outward appearance to the heart.

To trust your heart enough to give when there is no reward or return. To believe in the power of love enough to take yourself out of the equation and simply give to the one whose heart is so broken.

To love like that I think we need to be a dog or a Savior.

Because dogs are better people than people. And a Savior is the one who loved us before we loved Him.

We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19