Postmodern Realities Episode 252 Meditation Upon the Death of a Pet

09/09/21 • 39 min

Almost all the exotic pets of my childhood in Africa were rescues, caught out of the bags of hunters and the clutches of small children who just wanted a more interesting dinner than maize porridge. I was the only one who mourned them. And, in the case of Ash, though all my family loved him, I am the one who still can’t look at his grave in our back garden. And I am not alone. Join any peculiar dog breed group on Facebook and you will find countless prayer requests—long shot, hopeless pleas for God, to whom the poster has probably never prayed before, to spare a dog. Members of these groups pray, to whomever they imagine, because they understand the peculiar agony of the loss of a helpless and innocent creature who they were sure couldn’t die—and yet did.
This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with Journal author Anne Kennedy about about his online-exclusive, “Meditation Upon the Death of a Pet”. https://www.equip.org/article/meditation-upon-the-death-of-a-pet/
Please note this article will be fully accessible by the public in the future, to get early access to read it now, please see our FAQ section on Early Access to Online-Exclusive Articles by clicking here. https://www.equip.org/early-access-to-online-exclusive-articles-faqs/
We’d also like to invite you to subscribe to the Journal. To subscribe to the Journal, please click here. https://www.equip.org/product/crj-subscription/
When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.
Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click herehttps://www.equip.org/product/pmr-jnl-tip/
Other articles and Postmodern Realities podcasts featuring this author:
Episode 245: Glimpsing the Grave: A Critical Review of The Book of Longings
Glimpsing the Grave: A Critical Review of The Book of Longings: A Novel by Sue Monk Kidd
Episode 240: Be Free! The Making of Biblical Womanhood A Summary Critique review of The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women became Gospel Truth by Beth Allison Barr
Be Free! The Making of Biblical Womanhood A summary critique review of The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women became Gospel Truth by Beth Allison Barr
Episode 224 You Only Die Once: Why It’s Okay Not to Live in the Present
You Only Die Once: Why It’s Okay Not to Live in the Present
Episode 216 Why Do I Call Myself Good? A Look at Virtue Signaling
Why Do I Call Myself Good? A Look at Virtue Signaling
Episode 211: There Is No Health in Us: Wellness and Self-Care in the Age of COVID-19
There Is No Health in Us: Wellness and Self-Care in the Age of COVID-19
Episode 209 She Who Has Eyes, Let Her See: A look at Didn’t See That Coming by Rachel Hollis
She Who Has Eyes, Let Her See: A look at Didn’t See That Coming by Rachel Hollis
Episode 204: The Road Back to Where? A Look at Self Discovery Using the Enneagram
The Road Back to Where? A Look at Self Discovery Using the Enneagram
Episode 198 Cancel Culture and the Gospel: Where Can You Go When The Whole World Is Against You?
Cancel Culture and the Gospel: Where Can You Go When The Whole World Is Against You?
Episode 193 Catching UP with Rachel Hollis, Glennon Doyle & Jen Hatmaker
Episode 191 Gods, Gold, and Cheetahs: The Theological Vision of Untamed
Gods, Gold, and Cheetahs: The Theological Vision of Untamed
Episode 181 But What If It Is Me? The Work and Worldview of Brené Brown
But What If It Is Me? The Work and Worldview of Brené Brown
Episode 178 Worshipping Together
Episode 160-Naming Names: Why It’s OK (and Necessary) to Call Out False Teachers and Fugitives from Church Justice by Name
Naming Names: Why It’s OK (and Necessary) to Call Out False Teachers and Fugitives from Church Justice by Name
Episode 151 Am I a Bad Christian for Watching Hallmark Christmas Movies?
Am I a Bad Christian for Watching Hallmark Christmas Movies?
Episode 147 Book Review of Modern Kinship: A Queer Guide to Christian Marriage and An Evaluation of 2019 Evolving Faith Conference
A Helper Like Me: A Review of Modern Kinship: A Queer Guide to Christian Marriage by David and Constantino Khalaf
Losing Faith: A Look at the 2019 Evolving Faith Conference
Epi...

Previous Episode

Postmodern Realities Episode 251 Growing Up and Letting Go in CODA

The film CODA (2021) is a coming-of-age story about a hearing girl and her deaf family. While the arc of the story has the stereotypical beats of a teenage coming-of-age drama, it also explores the dynamics of growing up and letting go. Many Christians might resonate with the main protagonist Ruby’s parents that she must do “her part,” as a loving daughter to forsake pursuing her college dreams and remain home to be the interpreter for deaf parents and brother who need to run their fishing business. At the end of the day, somebody in her family is going to have to sacrifice something. That’s the drama of the film CODA, and that’s the drama of the Christian life as well.
This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with Journal author Cole Burgett about about his online-exclusive, “Growing Up and Letting Go in CODA“. **Editor’s Note: This article contains spoilers for CODA.**https://www.equip.org/article/growing-up-and-letting-go-in-coda/
Please note this article will be fully accessible by the public in the future, to get early access to read it now, please see our FAQ section on Early Access to Online-Exclusive Articles by clicking here. https://www.equip.org/early-access-to-online-exclusive-articles-faqs/
We’d also like to invite you to subscribe to the Journal. To subscribe to the Journal, please click here. https://www.equip.org/product/crj-subscription/
When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.
Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click here https://www.equip.org/product/pmr-jnl-tip/
Other articles and Postmodern Realities podcasts featuring this author:
Episode 242: Friendship and Fatherhood in Pixar’s Luca
Friendship and Fatherhood in Pixar’s Luca
Episode 239: No Us Without Him: The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Zack Snyder’s Justice League
No Us Without Him: The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Zack Snyder’s Justice League
Episode 234: Star Wars Happy and Glorious in The High Republic
Happy and Glorious in The High Republic: A Review of The High Republic Era beginning with Star Wars: Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule
Episode 227 Catharsis and the Power of Release in WandaVison
Catharsis and the Power of Release in Wandavison
Episode 222 Deconstructionism and the Gospel of Hope in Logan
Deconstructionism and the Gospel of Hope in Logan
Episode 218: Wonder Woman 1984: The Truth Is Enough.
Wonder Woman 1984: The Truth Is Enough.
Episode 214 Star Trek’s Christopher Pike: An Old Fashioned Hero For Our Cynical Times
Star Trek’s Christopher Pike: An Old- Fashioned Hero for Our Cynical Time
Don’t miss an episode; please subscribe to the Postmodern Realities podcast wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Please help spread the word about Postmodern Realities by giving us a rating and review when you subscribe to the podcast. The more ratings and reviews we have, the more new listeners can discover our content.

Next Episode

Postmodern Realities Episode 253 Does The Mysterious Benedict Society have the Right Stuff?

In 2019, Hulu announced that it would be adapting Trenton Lee Stewart’s 2007 novel The Mysterious Benedict Society as a streaming series. In some ways, this makes perfect sense. The book has been extremely popular, spawning three sequels, a prequel, and a puzzle book. For many children, tweens, and teens, it strikes a chord with its portrayal of gifted children who become heroes after emerging from backgrounds where their gifts had earned them only rejection, scorn, or exploitation. But as with other similar adaptations, the question naturally arises: would the filmed version be faithful, in plot and theme, to the source material?
What exactly is it that makes The Mysterious Benedict Society so distinctive? It’s not necessarily the plot, though that is diverting enough, to be sure. The true distinctiveness of the books comes in the details. As the plot of each volume progresses, the characters (child and adult alike) become more than the sums of their eccentricities, growing and learning from one another.
Any fan of the books is thus faced with conundrum when approaching their streaming incarnation: is it even possible faithfully to adapt novels in which the danger of screen technology is such a key theme? Interestingly, this is where the show is at its strongest. But the final product for the small screen oozes into a sentimentality that is literally tedious.
DisneyPlus’s Mysterious Benedict Society does recognize the ways in which our contemporary marriage to technology can compromise our pursuit of truth and goodness. But unlike its source material, it cannot seem to find the discipline to resist those root desires. Too often, its characters (especially its adult heroes) are shaped by their emotions, rather than ordering their desires around right pursuits. Engaging as the show is in its best moments, it lacks the countercultural force of its predecessor.
This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with Journal author Geoffrey Reiter about about his online-exclusive, “Does The Mysterious Benedict Society have the Right Stuff? ”. https://www.equip.org/article/does-the-mysterious-benedict-society-have-the-right-stuff/ ***Note: The article and podcast discuss plot points which may be considered spoilers.****
Please note this article will be fully accessible by the public in the future, to get early access to read it now, please see our FAQ section on Early Access to Online-Exclusive Articles by clicking here. https://www.equip.org/early-access-to-online-exclusive-articles-faqs/
We’d also like to invite you to subscribe to the Journal. To subscribe to the Journal, please click here. https://www.equip.org/product/crj-subscription/
When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.
Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click here. https://www.equip.org/product/pmr-jnl-tip/
Don’t miss an episode; please subscribe to the Postmodern Realities podcast wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Please help spread the word about Postmodern Realities by giving us a rating and review when you subscribe to the podcast. The more ratings and reviews we have, the more new listeners can discover our content.