11 Oct 2026 | Job 12:1–13; Romans 8:18–23 'The Blessing of the Animals'.
Image from Netflix’s "My Octopus Teacher", shared for sermon reflection.
A very warm welcome to everyone, especially to our Blessing of the Animals Service today!
Now, let me show you a picture. Please take a look at this. Can anyone guess what it is? Believe it or not, the answer is an octopus! It’s covering itself with shells and stones, hiding in plain sight.
For the past few weeks, I have spent a lot of time wrestling with today’s sermon. I really struggled with what I should preach. Then, completely by chance, I came across a documentary film called "My Octopus Teacher". Has anyone here seen it? The filmmaker, Craig Foster, reached his absolute breaking point. He was suffering from serious burnout and deep depression. He felt cut off from people, disconnected from everything. He even decided he would never touch a camera again. “I need a radical change.” So he went back to his hometown in South Africa, a place his heart had been longing for, filled with his childhood memories. That place was the Kelp Forest in False Bay. And right there, he started free-diving into the ocean, just like a little boy again. You know, we all have those moments when we feel completely exhausted by life, don’t we? Times when we deeply miss the simple happiness of our childhood. For 324 days—every single day—he went free-diving. No wet suit. No oxygen tank. Just him and the ocean. And he turned that incredible journey into this documentary.
Watching the underwater scenes on the screen, it was so incredibly beautiful that I actually found myself thinking, “Maybe I should learn to dive!” Of course, I’m not nearly that brave! But for Craig, his choice to dive every day brought an enormous change to his life. In that very place, he accidentally ran into an octopus hiding under shells and stones.
Can you see the octopus here?
Out of curiosity, from that day on, he kept returning to the exact same spot to find the octopus. He knew it sounded a bit crazy, but he decided to place a camera right in front of her den. And to his surprise, her reaction was remarkably smart. Using seashells as a shield, she slowly, carefully crept toward the camera. She tapped it gently. She touched it, feeling it out. And finally, she pushed it over!
Day after day, he went back to see her. Then one day, through his diving mask, their eyes met. His breath stopped. And then... one of her arms reached out, wrapping gently around his outstretched finger. A chill ran down his spine. He was thrilled, but he tried his best to stay calm. In his mind, he could almost hear the octopus saying, “I totally trust this human.”
The next day, he went back again, slowly building that trust. Then came day 52. He accidentally dropped his camera lens. He panicked, splashing and struggling in the water. Terrified by the sudden noise, the octopus darted away and vanished into the deep.
He felt terrible. “She is gone.” He said to himself, “I have to learn to track her. I need to follow her signs.” For two whole weeks, he searched everywhere. And finally, after fourteen long days, he found her again! When they saw each other again, it felt like she was saying, “Hi human, it’s exciting to see you! Okay, I trust you now. You can come into my world.”
And then, she slowly swam closer and wrapped herself gently against his chest. Wow, wow... It was just... so beautiful. He wondered, "What does it feel like for an octopus to have a stranger—a human like me—visit her every single day?” Sharing life together was completely mind-blowing to him.
Then came day 125. A shark attacked her. He watched it happen right before his eyes. It broke his heart. He desperately wanted to jump in and save her, but he knew he couldn't interfere with nature. All he could do... was just watch. In that attack, she lost one of her arms. Later, he found her hiding inside her den. Looking at her broken, fragile body, something inside him shifted. For the very first time in his life, he felt the heavy reality of death. He said the octopus taught him how to face it—how to face his own mortality, the heartbreak of losing loved ones, and how to truly ache for the pain of others. She became a mirror. He saw his own pain.
But two weeks later... a miracle happened. She began to heal. Right where her arm had been torn away, a tiny, miniature arm started to grow back. It was small and absolutely beautiful. Watching that new life grow, tears filled his eyes. And as her broken body healed... his broken soul began to heal, too. His deep depression and burnout slowly started to wash away. What an amazing feeling... It was a beautiful lesson in pure connection. A true companionship that doesn't need languages. A trust that goes far deeper than human understanding.
Then came day 324. He saw two octopuses together, and he knew right away: this was the next stage of her life. From that moment on, she stopped eating. She barely moved. She spent all her energy gently blowing fresh water over her eggs so they could breathe. And finally... hundreds of thousands of tiny baby octopuses hatched. They scattered into the vast ocean like falling snowflakes. It was one of the most moving, holy, and beautiful moments—born out of a mother’s selfless sacrifice.
And after pouring out every last drop of her energy... she slowly breathed her last. Her body became food for other fish, gently carried away into the misty kelp forest. With tears in his eyes, Craig said, 'She taught me the wonder of nature.' She taught him the incredible will to live. And she taught him what it truly means... to feel you are part of this place, not just a visitor.
Through her, he learned trust. He learned how new life is born through sacrifice. And he learned how to face both life and death. Some time later, he took his young son back to that very same kelp forest. And there... the ocean gave them the most beautiful gift. Right in front of them, wobbling a bit in the water... there it was. A tiny baby octopus. Amazing!
Out of half a million eggs, only three or four survive! I just love to imagine that tiny baby looking up at him and saying, 'Hi, human! You’re my mum’s friend, right?' It’s such a touching moment, and that is how the documentary ends. I honestly believe it is one of the best I have ever seen. I highly recommend it to you all. I promise you will completely fall in love with it.
But I do have to give you a quick warning. There is a bit of a side effect. I really enjoy eating octopus and cooking good seafood. It is actually quite a premium dish! But after watching this, I don't think I can eat it for a long, long time. I just imagine the octopus looking me in the eyes and saying, 'Hi, human, I am your teacher.'
This documentary reminds us of the wonder and hope of life. But more than anything, it points us to a very important truth: humans are not the only teachers in this world. Sometimes, we need to stop walking... listen quietly... and realize that we have so much to learn from the creatures God has made.
Job 12:7-8 says, 'But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you.’ Honestly, I used to think this meant we should just act like them. Be loyal like a dog, clever like a fox, or hardworking like an ant. But that’s not what God means. He isn’t saying, 'Just copy animals to be a good person.' He is calling us to look at creation to learn about His wonder, His deep wisdom, and how He cares for all life.
Think about what’s happening in Job chapter 12. Job is going through unimaginable suffering. His friends come to see him, thinking they have all the answers. But instead of just comforting him, they analyse his pain.
They say, 'Job, my friend, there is no effect without a cause! God is just. If you’ve sinned, you need to repent.'Another friend chimes in, 'There must be a reason for your ruin and your sickness. Don’t hide it. Just admit your wrongs to God! Then your pain will end. Quickly.'
It sounds so intelligent. A perfect, logical, religious analysis. Cause and effect! But when Job heard this... what was it that his heart actually wanted? He was silently crying out, 'My friends, all I need is your warm comfort... Can’t you just ache with me? Can't you just share my pain?'
And that is exactly when Job speaks these words to them: 'Stop trying to teach me with your cold, clever logic. Lay down your pride. Instead... go and ask the animals. Let the fish of the sea explain it to you.' Look at the vast nature God has made. Look at the sky, the mountains, the sea, and the countless creatures quietly living in them. If you do, you will finally realize the wonder of God, the Master of all things. You will see how deep and how warm, His wisdom truly is.
What Job is really saying is this: 'Stop struggling so hard to figure out a life that isn't going your way. Let go of your need for control. Look at how beautifully God holds and guides even the smallest, speechless creatures. Let us simply trust our fragile lives... to His great and mysterious ways.' That is the exact reason why Job cried out to his friends, telling them to go and learn from the animals, and listen to the fish of the sea.
Think about Craig Foster again. When he was broken, amazingly, just an ordinary octopus brought him back to life. It gave his life meaning again. How did it give his life meaning again? The truth is, the octopus didn't do anything. It didn't sit down and teach him. It didn't speak a single human word. The octopus simply lived its life as an octopus. It lived exactly according to God's created order and His providence. It showed him how to keep living, even after a shark attack. It showed him the wisdom to adapt. And finally, it showed him a beautiful life of sacrifice, laying down its own life for her babies.
And by simply watching that life unfold, he realized he was not the master of nature. He was simply a part of a much bigger, wider world of life. In that world, he found wonder, connection, and a meaning to life that he had never known before. And that is why he called her... “My Octopus Teacher."And this, my friends... is exactly why we look at God’s creation, and why we bless our animal friends today.
This is the message for Job’s friends, and for all of us today. It is saying to us: 'Look at how many mysteries of life we still don't understand. Think about how deep the wisdom of God truly is. So... do not be so quick to judge the pain of others. Do not speak as if you have all the answers. Sometimes, we just need to quiet our voices... look at God’s creation... and humbly learn about the God who is at work within it. Because the true answers we seek are already there, within His good creation. This is why Romans chapter 8 reminds us that all creation groans with us in pain, waiting together in hope for God's glorious redemption. And with a thankful heart to the Creator, we will learn to love and bless every creature that walks this journey of life with us.
Today, blessing our animal friends is not just about asking God to bless them. It is about thanking God for the joy and comfort they bring to us. It is about remembering that they, too, are precious lives within God's beautiful creation. And it is a promise—a promise that we will take the love we have received and share it with other living things.
And when we do that, we finally begin to learn, as we sing.
How does the creature say Awe?
How does the creature say Praise?
How does the creature cry Save?
How does the creature say Grace?
How does the creature say Thanks?
How does the creature say Care?
How does the creature say Life?
How does the creature say Love?
How does the creature say Peace?
How do your children say Joy?
How do your children say Home?”
We learn all of this through them.
Dear friends, can you hear it? “Hi, human! Exciting to see you again. Welcome to the octopus world.”
Take a moment to look at the animal friends beside you today. Look at their small movements, the way they simply live their lives, and discover the mystery of God's creation in them. And as you bless them, remember this: we, too, are precious creatures held deeply in God’s love.
As we ask God’s blessing upon these animals, may we learn God's love through their small lives. May we love more deeply, and may we enjoy the true blessing of walking humbly with our Creator.
Amen.
