Recently I heard a story on radio about dogs that are taken far away from their homes by their owners and abandoned in the countryside with the hope that they never find their way home again.

One lady recalled seeing a dog pushed from a vehicle on to a dark country road, after which the driver hurriedly sped away, leaving the dog standing shaken and abandoned in the middle of the road. Shocked at what she had seen, she stopped her car and got out to try and coax the dog off the road, knowing that at any moment a vehicle could come over the crest and hit the dog, injuring or killing it. She knew she had to act quickly before the dog disappeared into the dark night. As she approached to entice it off the road, it ran off in the direction in which its heartless owner had disappeared. Sadly, just as she had feared, a car rounded the corner on the crest and slammed into the dog, throwing it off to the side of the road. Holding the bloodied, broken body of the dying dog, wanting its final moments experienced with a human to be of comfort, care and love, she watched helplessly as it took its last painful breath.

Reflecting on this terrible night, she wondered, “What possesses a person who’s appointed to be a caretaker of life, to so thoughtlessly abandon the care of a creature which had given nothing but love and affection? What does this say about human beings?”

In this short documentary, “Last Minutes With Oden,” you will see behaviour quite opposite to the story just told. While occasional unsavoury language occurs in the video, there is an overriding authenticity that depicts something genuinely raw and special in the relationship that Jason has with his dog, Oden.

Be forewarned though, you’ll need tissues as you watch this one.

Jason Wood, a tattooed, hard-edged character, talks about how he had spent time in prison. On contemplating his post-prison self, however, he realises he no longer knows who that guy is. “I don’t even think like him, that poor pathetic guy who made decisions based on fear,” he reflected.

That’s really something to say about oneself, isn’t it? Something else was happening though. Jason was preparing himself to say goodbye to Oden, his three-legged companion, who, as Jason put it, was non-judgemental of him, who was loyal, who didn’t leave him, and who showed him how to love.

For me, the highlight of the story is Jason’s recognition that ‘love is God and God is love.’ “Oden showed me unconditional love,” he said. “God gave him some job to do, and he has done it.”

Whether you are a dog lover or not this film should strike a chord in your heart. We are creatures created by God to be loved and to love, to be custodians of the smaller creatures that God gives into our care, that enrich our lives and become our loyal companions. What a contrast: on the one hand, a dog heartlessly abandoned; on the other, Oden’s story of love, care and appreciation.

It’s a story that tells us how love transforms us and turns us around, how it changes us from being selfish, fearful and reactive perpetrators of hate, into loving, caring custodians of what has been given us. Jason was absolutely right, ‘love is God and God is love.’ May His love transform our hearts and lives today.

Anyone who does not love, does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:8

Now it’s time for you to watch, cry and learn as Jason shares with you about his last minutes with Oden.