The five major characters of “All Creatures” are each a finely-honed individual. None of them are perfect; all of them have flaws; they all fight realistic battles. Though the show is not a Christian show in explicit form, it overlaps significantly with a Christian vision of life in a fallen world. In fact, I think “All Creatures” presents this vision more honestly than Christians sometimes do.

The updated PBS Masterpiece show “All Creatures Great and Small” is the best show on television. I know some of you out there agree. That’s not to pigeonhole you; “All Creatures” may be produced by Masterpiece, but it has fans from across the demographic spectrum. It’s not solely for older types; it’s not merely for families; it’s not only for Anglophiles. It’s for everyone, and it has an audience to match.

“All Creatures” is popular because, in the simplest terms, it is a beautifully made show. (You can buy whole seasons here.) The pacing is measured. The cinematography is lovely. The script doesn’t waste a word. The music is first-rate, and a good bit better than a normal score for a TV show. The plots are compelling, but not uncontained, so the younger family members can stay in the room. The scenes of care for animals remind us that every creature is God-made, no matter how tiny or ordinary.

This last point is important. “All Creatures” is, at base, a study in enchanted realism. It portrays the difficulties of real life, that is, but with hope, humor, an eye to beauty, and a sense of the grandeur of the ordinary. It shows us that the “big life” is bound up with the small things, not what is flashy or exciting (most days).

Beyond this, there are two strengths of “All Creatures” that stand out to me. In what follows, I will unfold them, making reference to ministry and the Christian life as I go.

First, the Beauty of Care as a Craft

“All Creatures” is, at base, a study of craft—the craft of animal care. The practitioners are Siegfried Farnon, James Herriott, and Tristan Farnon. To varying degrees of experience, these men care for creatures with kindness, subtlety, and personal investment. They dress like gentlemen; they carry themselves with dignity; yet they readily put on their high boots, wade into mud, and help birth a young calf after many hours of exhausting effort.

These veterinarians have a craft of care. In this way, they remind me of pastors—at least, pastors as they are called to be. Siegried and James in particular bring a balance of technical knowledge, informed wisdom, a gentle touch, and a firm backbone to their vocation. They do not help animals to draw a paycheck. They genuinely love helping animals, and so they approach their daily work as if it is a privilege to do.

This mindset speaks in a profound way to the character of a congregational shepherd. Pastors should not be men who merely like to preach on Sunday morning, and make all the big decisions, and get thanked by church members. Pastors should exercise a craft of care. They should genuinely like the work of shepherding souls. If they don’t, they should leave the ministry, finding a job that better suits them.

That sobering word aside, we need a recovery of the pastoral vocation today. We need men who, in serving as elders, apply technical knowledge, informed wisdom, a gentle touch, and a firm backbone to their task. We need men to see the work of shepherding not as a job, but as a craft. The pastoral vocation is invested with great dignity and great importance. We need men who tenderly care for the sheep, and men who guard the flock.

I’ll say one final word here. It is particularly rich to watch Siegfried do his work. He is excellent at his job. He sets a high bar for his associates. He attacks his duties with alacrity. He pursues excellence in all that he does. Yet when it comes time to handle a troubled animal, jittery and jumpy, he slows things down. He quietly soothes the frightened creature, relaxing it until he can administer the care it needs.

This too is a crucial part of pastoral work. Pastors must be those who calm the sheep, enabling them to recover calmness and, in due course, a God-centered perspective on their trials. Beyond pastoring, tenderness is what men must minister throughout their life. As husbands, we must listen well to our wives, offering understanding in troubled situations. As fathers, we must draw near to our children, holding them in our arms, hearing them out, calming them in love. The world is cold, but our embrace is warm.

We need men who are tough, to be sure. But in equal measure, we need men who are tender. There is no daylight between these two essential qualities of men; we follow the Savior, after all, who perfectly blended and embodied them (Matthew 18:2-5; John 2:13-17). It is his strength, and equally his tender love, that will soon heal the world, leaving it so restored, so reconstituted, so eschatologically perfect that no one will be able to un-heal it.

Second, the Beauty of Relational Perseverance

There is a second major strength that I find in “All Creatures”: its portrait of persevering commitment. The characters in the show each have their faults, challenges, struggles, and sins. There are various plot devices and twists in each episode, but navigating the fallen humanity of each character makes up the central drama of the show.

In my needfully humble judgment, this is what makes “All Creatures” the best show on television.

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