Mother Earth
This week we celebrate Earth Day on April 22. Since its inception in 1970, Earth Day continues to grow as a worldwide phenomenon focused on promoting clean living and a healthy, sustainable habitat for people and wildlife. Celebrating Earth Day serves as a conscious reminder of how fragile our planet is and how important it is to protect it.
Were humans not tasked to be the caretakers of the Garden of Eden?
And were humans not tasked to preserve biodiversity in the story of Noah?
Many of us are inspired to take care of the earth, recognizing that clean air, water, and responsibly grown food are essential to life. We want to make sure that generations after us will be able to enjoy the beauty and variety nature has to offer. Unfortunately, we are not on the greatest of tracks in achieving this. Endangered species, whether on land, in the oceans, or in the air, are continuously on the rise.
Maybe Earth Day this year will encourage the human race to think further ahead than just one day. There are people who work tirelessly at understanding and promoting what needs to be done to not only protect the Earth as it is today, but of course to try and rectify some of the severe damage already inflicted upon it. The motto for this year's Earth Day is "Restore Our Earth".
The lectionary this week focuses again on the reaction and doubt of Jesus's followers as he comes back, resurrected from the dead. With Jesus's visit the disciples learn that they are to continue with his teachings of kindness, justice and humility. These teachings coincide very nicely with being good stewards of the earth.
Protectors and Teachers
Respect for the Earth
by Earth Day Canada | 2021
The link below has interesting information regarding the focus and events being put on for Earth Day this year. There are suggestions of what we, as inhabitants of this Earth, can do to help protect and heal it. There is also a short video for your enjoyment.
Love for the Earth
by Rainer Maria Rilke | April 5, 2021
Below is a link to a poetry reading of some of Rainer Maria Rilke's works. Rilke was an Austrio-Hungarian poet and writer known for lyrically and mystically linking tradition with modernity. These poems remind us of our role in loving the world and God.
Return to the Earth
by SALT team | April 12, 2021
The lectionary notes this week give us Luke's perspective of how the apostles reacted to Jesus returning to them after his death on the cross. The concepts of doubt in a life of faith, changing of one's heart with repentance, God's forgiveness, and what it means to recognize a miracle, are discussed.
Living Our Faith Day-to-Day
“We must realize that times of stress are also signals of times of growth.”