Last Monday, April 8, we were blest with an eclipse of the sun. I hope that the thousands of people who were out had a wonderful experience of the moon moving over the sun for three minutes and some twenty seconds. It was an experience that they will never forget.
What a wonderful moment to celebrate and rejoice in creation. We are here to enjoy it.
Thoughtful people, who are not afraid to tackle the hard questions of human existence, are painfully aware that the earth is entering into a time of global warming. It will not happen overnight but there is caution that the atmosphere will heat up the point where human beings may not be able to grow food on large parts of the earth. The ocean levels will rise and flood coastal cities (where a significant part of the human population lives).
We know the problem and it is us!
All of humanity is challenged. Can we come together as the human race, change our consumption of fossil fuels and move into the life and climate-sustaining future. Every human being is challenged: will we cooperate and move into a surviving future or will we all perish together?
The survival of the earth is a deeply spiritual problem. How we live and what we value arises from our spiritual values. This challenges our Christian faith.
We must go back into our roots to rediscover that in the very first chapter of the Bible we have the story of creation. It is told in terms of the seven days of creation which leads tohe believer to see that the seventh day as a day of joy o nthe part of God to rest, enjoy and be blest by the entire work of creation. Each day God stands back and recognizes how good creation is.
This is where every believer needs to rediscover that the first act of revelation on the part of God is found in the book of creation. Every leaf, bug, cloud and potato plant reflects and is a share in the goodness and life of God. We need to rediscover how b lest every part of creation actually is. We need to reverence, respect and rejoice in every part of creation. We need to once again rediscover wonder for all parts of creation.
Pope Francis in 2015 published an encyclical (official policy for the Church) ‘Laudato Si.’
It opens for all believers a new sense of compassion, cooperation and wonder for the earth, our common home. The teaching brings together our responsibility to care for the survival and thriving of ever y human being and our care for all parts of creation. This is not an either/or situation but a ‘together’ we must thrive.
Do not let any person who claims to believe in the divine off the hook. Ask them how they are working to preserve all of creation and helping all future generations of humanity to live, thrive and enjoy every aspect of creation. How are these people supporting and nourishing the future earth? How do they care for our common hone?
I hope you enjoyed the eclipse last Monday. May this event lift up your prayer in gratitude and wonder that we live in such a wonderful world.
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