If Jesus and Bluey met in an episode….

I am increasingly convinced that if the Gospel of John were written today, it would include at least one animated episode starring a blue Australian cattle dog. Specifically, the moment in John 14 when Jesus looks at his worried disciples and says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled,” feels like it could have easily been delivered while sitting on a living room floor surrounded by squeaky toys and half-built pillow forts.

Picture this: the disciples are spiraling. Jesus has just hinted that he’s going away, and Thomas is basically saying, “I don’t understand the directions.” Philip is asking for visual aids. Peter is probably pacing. It’s chaos.

Cut to: Bluey episode. (If you don’t know who Bluey is click here, or just talk to any preschooler.)

Bandit (the dad) announces he’s going somewhere. Not forever, but just, say, to the backyard. Bingo is already emotionally preparing a farewell speech. Bluey is asking 47 follow-up questions. Chilli is calmly folding laundry like this happens every day (because it does).

And what does Bandit do? He doesn’t hand them a map. He doesn’t say, “Figure it out, kids.” He gets down on their level and reassures them: “Hey, it’s okay. You know me. You know how this works.”

That’s John 14 in cartoon form.

Jesus doesn’t give the disciples a GPS pin labeled “Heaven and turn left in 500 years.” Instead, he gives them himself: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Which, if we’re honest, is both comforting and slightly frustrating. It’s like asking for directions and being told, “Just stick with me.” Helpful? Yes. Also, can we get a map?

But that’s the point. The disciples aren’t being handed information; they’re being invited into trust.

And honestly, that’s exactly how Bluey operates.

In nearly every episode, the kids don’t get long explanations about how life works. They experience it. They follow their parents through imaginative games that somehow turn into life lessons. One minute they’re pretending to run a restaurant, the next minute you’re crying because you’ve just learned something profound about patience, grief, or the passage of time. It’s emotional whiplash in eight minutes or less.

Jesus does something similar—minus the talking stuffed animals.

When he says, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father,” he’s basically saying, “You want to know what God is like? Watch me.” Not read about me. Not analyze me from a safe distance. Watch how I love people. Watch how I respond to fear. Watch how I make room for others.

In Bluey terms: God is not just explaining the game. God is playing it with you.

And then comes the truly wild part of John 14: “You will do greater works than these.”

Greater works? The disciples can barely keep up as it is. This feels like Bandit telling Bluey and Bingo, “One day, you’ll run even better games than I do,” which is both inspiring and slightly concerning because have you seen how chaotic their games already are?

But here’s the deeper truth: the love, creativity, and goodness we receive aren’t meant to stop with us. They expand. They multiply. They show up in new places, new people, new living rooms.

The disciples go on to carry Jesus’ message into the world. Bluey and Bingo grow into the kind of people who will create safe, joyful spaces for others. The pattern is the same: what you’ve been given, you pass on.

Also, let’s not skip the prayer part: “Ask in my name, and I will do it.” Now, if this worked like a Bluey episode, this would mean every request results in instant backyard games and unlimited snacks. Sadly, that is not how it goes.

Instead, it’s more like aligning your heart with the kind of love and goodness Jesus is already about—like when a Bluey game unexpectedly teaches kindness instead of just ending in chaos. The goal isn’t getting everything you want; it’s becoming part of something bigger.

So next time you watch Bluey and find yourself unexpectedly tearing up over cartoon dogs, just remember: you might be closer to John 14 than you think.

Comfort in the middle of confusion. Guidance without a map. Love that shows you the way by walking it with you.

Also, probably a dance mode break. Because even the disciples could have used one. Amen.