Autumn. What a glorious time of the year, especially those of us who are blessed to live in the beautiful Texas Hill Country! As the days grow shorter, there is a crispness that can be felt in the air. The leaves on the trees begin to turn to beautiful shades of red and orange and yellow and brown. For me, one word describes this season: Heavenly! There is beauty all around us, from the animals that roam freely (yes, some of them are nuisances), to majesty of the night-time sky when the Milky Way clearly can be seen.
The psalmist said it so well, "When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals (from the Hebrew word adam) that you care for them?" (Ps.8:3-4). The Psalms were the "hymn book" of ancient Judaism. In the words are reflected what the people were feeling, whether it was elation, wonder, sadness, anger, or many other emotions. The Benedictines pray through all 150 psalms each week of the year, year after year.
Sometimes, I feel, we forget that we have a God-given mandate to care for the creation: "Then God said, 'Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion (my italics) over the fish of the sea, . . ." The word dominion often gets misconstrued with domination, as if we have the right to do with creation whatever we want. Instead, God is speaking of stewardship, caring in the proper way for the resources which have been entrusted to us. It's a huge task, isn't it?
Caring for creation is important. Ecologists encourage that when old-growth forests are removed, seedlings be planted so that the forests will once again grow. Whether in agriculture or aquaculture, more and more scientists are looking at ways to make the limited resources we have more sustainable not only for us but for future generations. Recycling is just one part of that. A friend of mine works for City Public Service in San Antonio. While he says that plastics are among the most expensive to turn into a new product, one plastic bottle thrown in a landfill takes thousands of years to decompose.
More often than not, we view the immensity of the task before us and may throw up our hands. I give up, we say, it's impossible. Yes, while it may seem so, caring for creation begins with each of us. Just doing our small part adds immeasurably to the quality of life we experience here in the Hill Country. And caring for creation, beings stewards of that which God has given us, is one way of loving God.
"O LORD, how manifold are your works!" (Ps. 104:34a). The next time you gaze into the starry night or watch the gentle flowing of Guadalupe River, be reminded that this beauty is God's gift to us. And we've been given the joyous responsibility of caring for it. See you on the journey.
Grace and peace,
Mike
November 16, 2014