Celebrates Earth Day
APRIL 18TH, 2009 — 2ND SUNDAY OF EASTER
ACTS 4:32-35, FROM THE EARTH CHARTER (by Elisabeth Johnson), JOHN 20:19-31
Dear Friends,
Easter Blessings! This Sunday we celebrate the 2nd Sunday of Easter and since this coming Wednesday is Earth Day, we will also be celebrating God's glorious universe as well.
While pondering the connection between Easter, the Risen Christ, the emphasis on community (Acts) the forgiveness of sins, doubting Thomas (a key player in this Sunday's gospel) and Earth Day, I received a wonderful article by Elisabeth Johnson (America, April 13, 2009) which I think makes the connections beautifully. It is, of course, too much to share with you in full here, but here's a snippet. (If anyone would like me to forward the article, send an email, and I'll happily do so)
When, after discussing Scripture and doctrine, Pope John Paul II wrote in 1990 that "respect for life and for the dignity
of the human person extends to the rest of creation," it signaled a new chapter in the link between faith in God and
ecological ethics.
Ecological awareness brings to light how very earthy the ministry of Jesus was. For one subsequently interpreted as a spiritual Savior, it is remarkable how his healing practices placed people's physical suffering at the center of concern. Their bodies mattered, and he used his own spittle and warm touch to convey health. And how he cared about feeding people! Large numbers on hillsides and smaller groups in homes where he was a generous host and table companion knew his concern for their bodily hunger.
Jesus' orientation to physicality pervaded his preaching as well. Set within an agrarian culture, his parables are salted with reference to seeds and weeds, fields and vineyards, plowing and harvesting, sheep and nesting birds, rain and sunsets. He did not hesitate to speak movingly of God's care for the wildflowers, or to use divine concern for a dead sparrow as an analogy for his Abba's love of human beings. From the outset (in the Gospel of Luke), he positioned his ministry in the prophetic tradition, proclaiming, along with good news for the poor and freedom for the oppressed, a year of favor from the Lord, this last evoking the covenant tradition of Sabbath year and jubilee, when the land was allowed to rest and recharge (Lk 4:18-19, citing Is 61:1-2, which itself refers to Lv 25). The reign of the God of heaven and earth that grounds his ministry is all-inclusive. In the prophetic spirit of the wolf dwelling with the lamb, its approach promotes the well-being of all creatures.
It would be anachronistic to attribute to Jesus of Nazareth the environmental concerns of 21st-century people. The point rather is that his life's ministry is filled with orientations that open to physical, earthly dimensions without strain, once the question is raised. Since the reign of God embraces all, then this includes the planet itself, its many different ecosystems and the creatures that inhabit them. Since the reign of God is especially attentive to the needy and outcast, then solidarity with the poor encompasses the earth and its distressed creatures. In an ecological perspective, Jesus' great command to love your neighbor as yourself extends to all that share in the evolutionary community of life, humankind and "otherkind" alike. The Gospel narratives of Jesus' historical ministry press toward this new frontier, commensurate with the wideness in God's mercy.
Ecological awareness brings to light how very earthy the ministry of Jesus was. For one subsequently interpreted as a spiritual Savior, it is remarkable how his healing practices placed people's physical suffering at the center of concern. Their bodies mattered, and he used his own spittle and warm touch to convey health. And how he cared about feeding people! Large numbers on hillsides and smaller groups in homes where he was a generous host and table companion knew his concern for their bodily hunger.
Jesus' orientation to physicality pervaded his preaching as well. Set within an agrarian culture, his parables are salted with reference to seeds and weeds, fields and vineyards, plowing and harvesting, sheep and nesting birds, rain and sunsets. He did not hesitate to speak movingly of God's care for the wildflowers, or to use divine concern for a dead sparrow as an analogy for his Abba's love of human beings. From the outset (in the Gospel of Luke), he positioned his ministry in the prophetic tradition, proclaiming, along with good news for the poor and freedom for the oppressed, a year of favor from the Lord, this last evoking the covenant tradition of Sabbath year and jubilee, when the land was allowed to rest and recharge (Lk 4:18-19, citing Is 61:1-2, which itself refers to Lv 25). The reign of the God of heaven and earth that grounds his ministry is all-inclusive. In the prophetic spirit of the wolf dwelling with the lamb, its approach promotes the well-being of all creatures.
It would be anachronistic to attribute to Jesus of Nazareth the environmental concerns of 21st-century people. The point rather is that his life's ministry is filled with orientations that open to physical, earthly dimensions without strain, once the question is raised. Since the reign of God embraces all, then this includes the planet itself, its many different ecosystems and the creatures that inhabit them. Since the reign of God is especially attentive to the needy and outcast, then solidarity with the poor encompasses the earth and its distressed creatures. In an ecological perspective, Jesus' great command to love your neighbor as yourself extends to all that share in the evolutionary community of life, humankind and "otherkind" alike. The Gospel narratives of Jesus' historical ministry press toward this new frontier, commensurate with the wideness in God's mercy.
(Elisabeth Johnson)
For me, this answers the question that any ‘doubting Thomas or Thomasina's might have as to whether our Christian call involves a commitment to loving and tending this earthly dwelling place... the land on which we stand and feed…as well as our bodies. Life is increasingly teaching us these days that the abundance in which we have reveled does indeed have limitations. Our world is ‘shrinking' and hopefully our awareness is deepening that we are indeed One Body, One Creation and One Community with a gospel responsibility to care for this planet in a way that respects the handiwork of our Creator just as we are called to care for one another as sister and brother. The question of the week is: What can you and I each do to nurture the earth which has given so much to each of us? Plant a seed, pick up trash you meet along the path, turn off some lights, buy some bulbs to plant, or some wattage saving bulbs to light your room. Let's get creative!
If you are seeking a "community of believers" to journey with you in a deeper way; one where every voice is heard, and women and men are unafraid to acknowledge the equality of women and men; and to embrace feminine as well as masculine... and beyond... images of God, we invite you to join us at Spirit of Life. As a community, we try wholeheartedly to "be Christ" to one another, to tend to the needs of one another, and to those in need in our world. Together, we celebrate our belief that we are being transformed by God's grace as we gather together in prayer. We warmly invite you to come and gather with us at our Table, and join in our experience of the "kin-dom" of God. We are an inclusive, open, affirming and interactive community, deeply committed to being a people of "justice and joy."
Wishing you joy in the Risen Christ,
Find more about past weekly reflections and podcasts in our ARCHIVE PAGE.
