Gracious, loving Creator God,
out of primeval darkness
you have flooded us with light.
You dispel the darkness of our minds and hearts,
and you guide our footsteps
as we try to follow your ways.
Be with us now as that light of truth.
Illumine our thoughts and prayers
with the light of your presence
as we journey together
with our sisters and brothers
to learn more about our relationship
with you, our God,
with each other, and with the earth
– our common home.
Amen.
“A World to Care For”
(Excerpts from Fr. Ed Ciuba’s
“Creation at the Crossroads”)
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“Creation at the Crossroads”)
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Some have failed to understand this truth because they misinterpret the words of God in Genesis: “Be fertile and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, and all living things that move on the earth.” To “subdue the earth” does not mean to destroy or exploit it. The nuance of the verb, as it is used in Genesis, is to control. Human beings must work the land in order to gain our sustenance, but we must do it responsibly! The phrase “having dominion over the earth” is not a license for tyranny; we can’t do with the earth whatever we like. We are called by God to exercise the real power that we have in the manner of Christ – in loving service to God and neighbor. Being given dominion is a challenge to be accountable for the care of the earth as a sacred trust. We must continue developing and improving upon it. Our efforts at re-working and shaping the earth are intended to make the result “good,” just as God made it in the beginning.
A way of understanding the partnership between God and humankind is found in Genesis 2:15: “God then took man and settled him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and care for it.” In other words, we can take from the land whatever is needed for our sustenance, but we must be sure to protect it and give it proper oversight not only for ourselves but also for future generations. We don’t “own” the earth; it is given to us in trusteeship to be used for the common good. These ancient stories, full of symbolism, bear witness to a conviction that we today share, that everything is interconnected. Genuine care for our lives, our relationships with other human beings and with nature are inseparable from fraternity, justice, and faithfulness to others.
The Hebrew Scriptures – especially the Psalms, the prophets, and wisdom literature – repeat in many different ways that God’s love is the fundamental moving force in all created things. Each creature, no matter how large or small, from the grasshopper to the elephant, from the little minnow to the orca whale, has its own purpose. No one, no creature, is superfluous. The entire universe speaks of God’s love for all of us creatures, living and non-living: soil, water, mountains, forests, Arctic tundra. Everything is like a caress of God. It speaks of God’s presence.
Biblical wisdom about relationships and the inter-connection of all creation helps us to understand the frequent references by Pope Francis to “integral ecology”.
Ecology is a combination of the Greek words oikos, meaning home, and logos meaning a teaching. Ecology then is the study of how organisms interact with one another and with their common home. “Integral” adds an element of completeness: humans and all creatures of land, sea, and air, and our environment, are intimately connected as parts of a whole. Harming or destroying one part of the whole will cause harm and negative repercussions for another part. If we pollute our streams and rivers, we endanger the lives of the creatures that live in the water and the wellbeing of people who live along the banks. All of us are linked by unseen bonds, and together we form a universal family, sharing a common home.
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What relationship do you see between religious faith and care for the environment?
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Lawn and garden pesticides can harm wildlife; find alternative means of maintaining your own property without harmful pesticides.
