Both creation stories (Genesis 1:26-28 and Genesis 2:7,15) and Psalm 8 remind us that we are not separate from creation. We are mud and clay. We are the breath of wind. We are rooted and grow in the earth that nourishes and sustains us.
I think, because of our technology and because many of us live in an urban setting, it is easy to lose sight of how much connection we have with the earth. We might notice hotter, dryer summers and drought. We might notice intense storms and more flooding. We might hear about forest fires raging out of control or hurricanes being more frequent and more intense. We might hear that the glaciers and polar icecaps are melting, and sea levels are rising. We might notice certain species of birds are missing. We might notice new creatures moving in as they search for habitat. We might notice but is it more than a passing thought?
We might chat with a neighbour:
“Sure was hot this summer.”
“And dry…”
“Last time I remember a summer like this was 50 years ago.”
“Oh yeah. That was the summer when….”
And then the conversation moves onto anecdotes and other topics. It’s safer, more comfortable and less overwhelming than this conversation:
“Sure was hot this summer.”
“I’m convinced, the climate’s changing. I’m really worried that in a few years we won’t have enough water to farm here. All the marshes and ponds are drying up.”
“No farming? In one of the most agricultural parts of the world?”
“I don’t want to go all doomsday on you, but it could happen.”
“I know. All the scientists tell us it’s coming if we don’t change but I don’t want to think about it. It feels big and overwhelming.”
“The thing is, we all know what we need to do but we don’t always do it because we’re too comfortable.”
“I know….things like drive less, fly less, generally stay home more. Although with covid, we’ve been doing less travelling anyway.”
“I just hope we don’t go back to our old ways. And then there’s things like reduce, reuse, recycle.”
“Just generally want less. And be content with where we are and what we have.”
“And eat local food to support local farmers and cut down on all that transportation.”
“With an election coming up, we should be asking how our government is going to protect the earth. I can do all these little things myself, but it doesn’t feel like it makes much difference.”
“We need to look at the big picture and we can’t do that on our own. We need all of us to work together and our leadership needs to encourage us in caring for the earth.”
“It isn’t just about government though. It’s about our faith. We can’t be faithful to our God if we aren’t caring for the earth.”
“Remember the creation stories? We were formed from the mud of the earth….just like the crops and veggies we’re trying to grow.”
“We are mud of the earth and breath of the wind. You would think after thousands of years we would know our place, but I feel like we’ve gotten a bit muddled.”
“The creation stories tell us what we need to do: be responsible, watch over, and care for the earth and all its creatures. We know what we need to do.”
“But it’s so big and overwhelming. God gave us this huge task and I don’t know if I’m up for it.”
“We can’t say we are faithful and then ignore the earth that we are a part of. We can’t say we are faithful and ignore the creatures and plants who are losing their habitat. We can’t say we are faithful and then waste precious water. We can’t say we are faithful and then go willy-nilly using up all the resources in sight and then some. We can’t.”
“I know but I don’t know where to start.”
“Be responsible, watch over, and care for the earth. I’ll help you. And we’ll each find one more person to help. And they’ll each find one more person to help. Before you know it, everyone will be faithfully caring for creation—just as we were meant to from the start.”
“I know it’s a big ask, but we have to live in hope. That’s part of our faith too—living in hope that we and the world around us can be transformed. I promise not to get stuck in the doomsday mentality or ignore what’s happening. I promise to be a person of faith and hope in caring for the earth.”
Twirling Jen 