Meditation 292
Psalm 104
Psalm 104 is a psalm of praise for the beauty and strength of creation which has been given by God for the use and protection of all of creation, and one way we can show our love for God is to care for the beautiful world that God has made. Our faith may call us to stand up and stand out from others in ways that challenge the practices of the day, and so we can speak up for the earth as we speak out against the drive to increase production regardless of the cost, to speak and act against the dependence we have on fossil fuels, to speak and act in favour of practices that conserve and reuse resource. Being a good care taker of the earth is in keeping with the teaching of Scripture. The psalms speak eloquently of the amazing thing God has done in creating all flora and fauna, and as believers we both use the amazing creation and protect it. God has made the earth which feeds us, grass for the cattle, plants for people; we have things from God to give beauty and bounty to life. God wants us to be glad and to be well, and project that good feeling. To that end we are given wine and oil, we are given bread to strengthen the heart. The fact that we have bread means that we have the ability to take the grain God has given, and process it. This ability to plan and make things is also a gift from God.
God has given the earth to feed and nurture us. Life is to be enjoyed, and so God has given us beautiful trees. One of the trees is the cedar, which produced the prized wood for ancient wood working. Cedar was used in building the temple because it was an aromatic wood that was resistant to decay and bugs. At one time in Lebanon the mountains were covered in cedar woods and one was struck by the beauty, strength and majesty of the towering cedars that covered acres of land. Not only were the cedars useful to people, but to the creatures as well, as this is where the birds build their nests. According to the psalmist all of the trees are abundantly watered by God, because this is the way God gives life, abundantly. There is not a trickle of water for the trees, which would be enough for them to simply eke out survival. No, there is abundant water, which will flow into the earth allowing the cedars and firs to flourish.
This is a picture of the wonder of a part of creation that invites us to praise God and that invites us to be good stewards who care for creation. One example of someone who cares passionately for creation is Greta Thunberg. She is the young woman who, in August 2018, at the age of 15, went on strike from school to protest climate change outside the Swedish parliament. This led to a movement of students called “Fridays for Future” that saw students around the world striking to motivate action against climate change. Greta has a direct no nonsense way of speaking. She is well informed, and not afraid to say what she knows. She recognized that some felt that she should be in school learning instead of protesting outside the parliament, and to this she asked, what is the point of learning facts in school when the most important fact is ignored by politicians? Greta was focused and up to date on the subject of climate change. She also has Asperger syndrome, which she says is her super power. Those with Asperger’s are able to stay focused on a task and to retain information well. There have been unkind things said about this young woman who boldly stands up and stands out for what she believes.
It has been suggested by a climate change deny-er that the green left wing is using a mentally unstable child as a shield. In the face of name calling from someone with more power than she, and therefore someone with more responsibility than she, she has not backed down because she has the courage of her convictions. She is acting to save not only the flora and fauna on our planet, but the entire planet. She urges us not to look for hope but to look for action, because once we start to act hope is everywhere
As we look out today and see the beauty of spring in front of us, we can take time to say thank you to God for caring for us, and we can take time to pledge to God that we will care for the earth with an abundance of action.