God Conversations with Tania Harris
Jul 26, 2026 · 31 min · 10 segments
Can God really speak through animals? I know – it sounds a little out there. But what if the Holy Spirit, the great Comforter, uses *all* of creation to bring healing, joy and peace? In this…
Daniella RizzoGuest
Tanya HarrisHost
It makes sense, doesn't it? Because if you think about it, when we pray, God often moves people to comfort, those who are around us to come encourage us or hear from God on our behalf, I think, prophetically.
But it makes sense that the Spirit could move through an animal too, doesn't it?
And in that moment, you know, anybody who reads that passage, the man that the donkey was speaking to was beating the donkey.
And the voice of that donkey spoke out and said, why are you hurting me? That is the voice of that donkey.
So if there are all these human voices in the biblical text and there's one non-human voice that is obviously there, the very voice that is, I guess, a marginalized voice is saying, why are you hurting me? And I think about that in terms of our relationship with animals and how God calls us to treat them.
Yeah, so if animals are a part of the created order, which they are, and God sustains them, then you wouldn't be surprised that God would use them to communicate to us in some way.
Tell us a little bit about your research in lay people's terms, Dani, don't get too excited because I, you know, you are a very smart, systematic theologian and you have had some accolades with your work, but can you dumb it down for us in simple terms? Yeah,
Really, I think about my research and all it really is is giving voice to animals, you know.
So how does the Holy Spirit work through animals? You know, are they soulless creatures? Are they spiritless creatures? And I think that's what many people think they are, that they are like empty vessels.
We see in our, I guess, our human communities that we, especially in Australia, we often live with animals.
There are many animals in many households and they provide not only comfort and companionship, but joy and life into a home.
And, you know, especially when you see on social media, anybody that is being cruel to an animal, people get really angry about it.
Because I think that there is something inherently within people that see that that is wrong to hurt an animal, especially one that trusts you within their own households.
So I think about that and I say, well, if that is the relational scope that humans and non-human creatures have, that they can coexist in a home, then what, how does that extend to their creator? Why wouldn't their creator, why wouldn't God love them any more? Or why would he love them any less? Why is it the human that is always the focus? And, you know, are they really just there to decorate the backdrop of creation or are they really there at, you know, in the front row really, and able to experience who Jesus is through creation? And I also see that even in the biblical text.
I mean, when Jesus was born in a manger, he was born not only amongst humans, but also non-humans.
Yeah, I think about some of those verses in Psalms that say all creation speaks and all creation includes animals.
And I think if you start to look at the beauty of how animals are created, even the simple caterpillar that morphs into a butterfly and what that looks like and what God does in us and rebirths us and creates beautiful things from difficulty.
And if we opened our eyes to see it, then we could receive it a little bit more fully.
It makes sense, doesn't it? Because if you think about it, when we pray, God often moves people to comfort, those who are around us to come encourage us or hear from God on our behalf, I think, prophetically.
But it makes sense that the Spirit could move through an animal too, doesn't it?
And in that moment, you know, anybody who reads that passage, the man that the donkey was speaking to was beating the donkey.
And the voice of that donkey spoke out and said, why are you hurting me? That is the voice of that donkey.
So if there are all these human voices in the biblical text and there's one non-human voice that is obviously there, the very voice that is, I guess, a marginalized voice is saying, why are you hurting me? And I think about that in terms of our relationship with animals and how God calls us to treat them.
Yeah, so if animals are a part of the created order, which they are, and God sustains them, then you wouldn't be surprised that God would use them to communicate to us in some way.
Tell us a little bit about your research in lay people's terms, Dani, don't get too excited because I, you know, you are a very smart, systematic theologian and you have had some accolades with your work, but can you dumb it down for us in simple terms? Yeah,
Really, I think about my research and all it really is is giving voice to animals, you know.
So how does the Holy Spirit work through animals? You know, are they soulless creatures? Are they spiritless creatures? And I think that's what many people think they are, that they are like empty vessels.
We see in our, I guess, our human communities that we, especially in Australia, we often live with animals.
There are many animals in many households and they provide not only comfort and companionship, but joy and life into a home.
And, you know, especially when you see on social media, anybody that is being cruel to an animal, people get really angry about it.
Because I think that there is something inherently within people that see that that is wrong to hurt an animal, especially one that trusts you within their own households.
So I think about that and I say, well, if that is the relational scope that humans and non-human creatures have, that they can coexist in a home, then what, how does that extend to their creator? Why wouldn't their creator, why wouldn't God love them any more? Or why would he love them any less? Why is it the human that is always the focus? And, you know, are they really just there to decorate the backdrop of creation or are they really there at, you know, in the front row really, and able to experience who Jesus is through creation? And I also see that even in the biblical text.
I mean, when Jesus was born in a manger, he was born not only amongst humans, but also non-humans.
Yeah, I think about some of those verses in Psalms that say all creation speaks and all creation includes animals.
And I think if you start to look at the beauty of how animals are created, even the simple caterpillar that morphs into a butterfly and what that looks like and what God does in us and rebirths us and creates beautiful things from difficulty.
And if we opened our eyes to see it, then we could receive it a little bit more fully.
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