For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church....
Some environmentalists believe the destruction of our Earth's climate, and its livability, begins with human beings. We are the problem, the contamination, the disease. The world would be better off without us.
If some critics don't go that far, they might say the problem is the widespread belief that we are the owners and masters of the world. They will point to an interpretation of Genesis 1:28 -- God said, "Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that crawl on the earth." -- and conclude that our religious tradition has polluted the planet.
I reply to that complaint, it's pretty obvious there is no other species on the Earth with such adaptive, creative intelligence. If whales and bonobos are pretty clever, and elephants are remarkable for their memory, no species can hold a candle to our ability to create infrastructure and language and develop these institutions through thousands of years.
If God created the world, as we believe; it's obvious he placed us in charge. We are responsible for the fate of the Planet. Saying we shouldn't exist and should not be in charge doesn't help at all.
Our Christian religion may be unique for recognizing that privilege and responsibility. It is certainly unique for recognizing Jesus as the One for whom the entire universe was created, as we hear in today's second reading.
The question the Christian must answer is not, "Why are we here in the world?" We know that we are to love God with our heart, soul, mind and strength. The question is, "What should we do?"
Today's Gospel -- the Good Samaritan -- is as good a place as any to start our reflection.
First, we should understand Jesus is the Good Samaritan. He is the one despised -- the pariah messiah -- who discovers the fallen human race and its wasted environment. His heart is moved with compassion for the mess we have made. His response is immediate, generous and appropriate. The Lord knows what to do and does it. He doesn't stall with a committee to research how this catastrophe came about. He doesn't look around to find someone to blame for leaving this poor fellow in the ditch. Nor does he wait on someone else to do it.
If anything, he is delighted with the opportunity, regarding it as a privilege.
Perhaps some people don't understand how the United States created the crisis on our southern border. They're not familiar with the history of American exploitation of the oil fields, minerals, and agrarian resources of South and Central America. They don't believe wealth maintains itself by the manipulation of laws, treaties and trade. They suppose God made us powerful and we should keep it that way.
But the one who imitates the Good Samaritan (Jesus) welcomes the opportunity to repair our Earth's environment and assist refugees wherever they might be, in whatever way they require.
No comments:
Post a Comment
I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.