What amazing weather we’ve been having in the last week! Really this is one of the great joys of living in this part of the world – seeing the seasons change so dramatically. I actually really like winter, because I’m a huge homebody and winter is a great excuse to stay at home with the heater and a blanket on the couch. But Spring came and we started to open the curtains and keep the heater off, and then open the windows to let the fresh air and the earthy fragrances into the house, it really makes me feel alive.
I don’t know what God had in mind when he created changing seasons, colourful flowers, cold weather, scorching weather; ants that we can hardly see, rocks that have locked within them the secrets of the planet; trees that reach up to the sky. But God did create, and how marvellous is God’s good creation, and how wonderful it is that we are so lucky to live here in God’s blue green sanctuary. As I look around I see that that sentiment is shared by pretty much everyone – we, humans, are positively IN LOVE with this planet, even if they don’t attribute its existence to God. Today is actually the St Frances of Assisi feast day and lots of churches do a blessing of the animals on this day. I had initially thought that we could do that, but ah, logistics, but I reckon, Steve we should give it a go for next year – we can have a service in the park, or outside, and we can bless the animals we love and have them join with us in worship of their creator and ours. Because there’s something about the connection that humans have with animals and with the rest of the natural world that is unsurpassed. We feel a natural affinity, the world is our natural home. We feel peace and harmony and connection with ourselves and with each other when we are connected with the Earth.
So today is the last Sunday of the “Season of Creation”. There are a few creation narratives in the bible – those in Genesis and the beginning of the Gospel of John – and they all tell of God’s creative impulse bringing forth everything that is. The Word brings everything into being and God’s presence continues to permeate all creation, continually creating and nurturing. And though creation is not perfect, it is good – God’s sanctuary filled with God’s glory. We find ourselves overjoyed and awed by it.
And as creatures, God saw that we were very good. So good, apparently, that God entrusted us with the care of this Earth, but we have distorted this responsibility. In the past, and still today you hear some say, that we are to have “dominion” over the Earth – but we can see the effects of that theology on how we treat the world, that theology has informed western civilisation and the quest for economic growth at all costs – and the Earth has suffered. We have put our own needs over and above the health of the planet and the Earth has suffered. There are countless examples – some will point to climate change, some to air and water pollution, some to deforestation and excessive development. Whatever it is, we know the earth is suffering. The earth that we love and that God loves is carrying our heavy burden.
I only just moved to be near the bush after having lived in Sydney my whole life – and the townhouse that we live in now is adjacent to bushland. Where I grew up there really was no threat of natural disasters, but as summer is drawing near we have been slowly working on getting ready for the bushfire season. We downloaded the documents and started reading through them and learnt that leaving early is best, but if we wished to stay and protect our property then that’d be fine, we would just have to make sure we were prepared. Well as we’re renting, we’ll be leaving early for sure – and really we’re lucky we rent because there’s really no tension between saving my own life and protecting the house – of course I’m going to leave early and be safe above trying to save a house that I don’t own.
I sometimes think we, as a global community, live as if we’re just renting the planet and that it will somehow always provide for us. But each year we consume 50% more resources than the planet can replenish, not to mention the damage we’re doing to our soil and water and air.
But the planet isn’t ours, it’s God’s and God has entrusted the Earth to our care. The Earth is a young child and an elderly parent, in need of love and care and service for the potential that it has and also for the care that it has provided to us.
In Genesis the word “dominion” is used to describe our relationship with the Earth. We know that this interpretation has been problematic – it has encouraged us to rule and subdue and do with the Earth whatever we like, for whatever purpose. I looked up the Hebrew word interpreted as “dominion”, expecting that I would find a nuance of meaning which would we could then interpret as stewardship or partnership. But no, I was mistaken. It absolutely says “dominion” in no uncertain terms – when God entrusted the Earth to our care we were given power to do with the Earth what we will. God gave us the same dominion that an all-powerful King would have over a Kingdom. So I closed that tab of my computer and went back to my readings… it was all a bit too uncomfortable.
But I forgot who was giving this power. The God we worship, the God revealed in Jesus Christ who went to the cross gave us “dominion” over the earth. Jesus Christ who heralded the Kingdom of God as good news to the poor, release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind and freedom for the oppressed. This is not a God who thinks dominion is what we think it is.
It’s obvious from Jesus’ ministry that the Kingdom of God is not about domination and control and violence. The Kingdom of God is not like any earthly kingdom or power we’re familiar with. Jesus’ leadership is servanthood and love and non-violence, not oppression and domination. God is love, God’s rule and authority empowers us, it doesn’t destroy us. Really it’s just semantics, but humans do rule this earth, our decisions have unending impact, and we have absolutely altered the fabric of this planet. The decisions we have made and will continue to make will heal this Earth or see its destruction – yes we are that powerful.
I do think that stewardship is a better concept for us to hold on to, but we must be aware of the power that we do have over the Earth, even as we are embedded in the Earth’s web of life. When we talk of stewardship, we’re really asking the question “who are we serving in the choices we make?” Are we serving God? Or are we serving our own ends? Are we truly caring for this good and wonderful creation that God has entrusted to us, or are we only thinking of ourselves and our society. Is a strong economy really only what we’re here for?
In our reading from Matthew Jesus exhorts us to not worry about what we will eat or drink or wear. He compares our lives to that of other creatures – sparrows and lillies and grass – God’s creations that God cares for and looks after as a good ruler would look after their subjects.
Well that’s all very well and good, but I DO worry. I worry about climate change. I worry about air and water pollution. I worry about deforestation and depleting fish stocks. I worry about the opening of more and more coal mines when there are green alternatives. I worry because the science tells us we are along the path of an ecological crisis where, to be fair, we don’t fully know what the effects will be, but what we do know is that the poor and vulnerable will suffer the most, and our western lifestyles will have to change considerably to cope.
Just before this reading Jesus said “you can’t serve both God and wealth” – wealth being “mammon” – a personified power in opposition to God. We desire the security of wealth, yet we know, as we live as part of God’s good creation, of the reliability of God’s care. The worry is borne out of false hope – that if we had enough money we would have everything we needed. That if we invested more wisely we could solve our problems. That we could do without God.
But we are called to live out of the hope that we have in God. This is our gift we give to the world. As God’s people, we say “we don’t believe wealth will save us, but God who is love has already saved us”. As we care for the Earth we are saying “this is God’s good creation. Everything we have has been given to us by God and it is not ours. We have been entrusted with the Earth to care for and nurture it.” We live in hope, not by giving up, but by getting our hands dirty… because we know our life and future is embedded with the life and future of the whole of creation. We pray for wisdom in how we use the resources given to us. We join together as a community heralding the Kingdom of God. We stand with our sisters and brothers who will be much more greatly affected than we will be. We persevere in our calling as we join in the renewal and reconciliation of the whole creation, in the full knowledge of God’s loving care and provision.
Helen Travers 