Wednesday, July 29

Today’s Readings: Psalm 50; 2 Samuel 9:1-13; Mark 7:9-19; Acts 22:22-30; Psalm 119:97-120

Several years ago, I heard a popular talk show host talk about environmental issues during his broadcast. The talk show host attacked environmentalists for wanting to do too much to protect the earth. As the justification for his position, he was using a warped reading of Genesis 1:28 – which says God gave humanity dominion “over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Because humanity has dominion over creation, the talk show host argued, we should be able to whatever we want with the earth. I wish that the same talk show host would have held today’s first psalm – Psalm 50 – alongside Genesis 1:28. For today’s first psalm says things like “the God of gods – it’s God! – speaks out, shouts, ‘Earth!’ welcomes the sun in the east, farewells the disappearing sun in the west…” and “the whole cosmos attests to the fairness of [God’s] court”. The language of celebration doesn’t put humanity over and above creation – it puts creation within the event. Today, I would ask you to explore the way you approach creation. Do you see creation as that which God created merely as a plaything for humanity – to do with as we see fit; or do you view creation as a sacred part of the order to which we are intimately connected? Til next time…