A sermon by Brian T. Lynch
OUR FIRST READING is - Job 12: 7-10
In this passage, Job is debating men who hold him in contempt because they believe Job’s misfortunes are the result of his sins. Job tells them he is “righteous and blameless,” while their wisdom is flawed. He quotes a passage that speaks of God’s superior wisdom reflected throughout creation. Listen to the first reading.
Job says, “… but ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.”
Something troubles me every Sunday. It happens during the call to confession. The discomfort is my awareness that a living species goes extinct every hour. These species aren’t just killed for food; They are erased from the Earth because of our abuse and indifference towards them.
Knowing this weighs on me, adding to my guilt for not speaking out. Few people realize how much human activity is stressing the planet. Amid the noise of manufactured controversy, we haven’t heard that small changes in CO2 played a major role in past extinctions, or that the cycle is starting again. Rising CO2 levels are a ticking time bomb… or not, depending on which voices we listen to.
But environmental damage isn’t just about global warming. It also results from industrial farming, which my wife (Roz) and I observed firsthand in South Africa. On a bus trip, we saw thousands of acres cleared of every living thing to grow orderly rows of eucalyptus trees destined to become cardboard boxes for our online purchases. Extinctions can occur when farmers overuse petrochemical fertilizers or pesticides that kill all insects to control a few pests.
Other extinctions occur when poor indigenous people, who lived in harmony with the land for a thousand years, must now cut down tropical rainforests for money to feed their children. “Forever chemicals”, such as PFAS, pose an extinction risk because these highly toxic substances spread throughout the world, don’t break down naturally, and accumulate in soil, water, and living things, including us. A growing loss of forests and habitats due to overdevelopment also contributes to higher extinction rates. There are other man-made risks as well, such as over-fishing the world’s oceans and the threat of nuclear war.
Our disregard of nature— or our “estrangement” from it,— threatens my grandchildren's future. I’m sure this is true because the collective actions of eight billion people have pushed this planet to the brink of an extinction epoch. In biblical times, our small population made the idea that we could destroy God’s creation unimaginable. Some of us may still hold that belief. But today, our technology and growing population size make the risk of harming this planet unavoidable.
Long before humans first appeared and up to about a hundred years ago, our planet experienced a long period of stability. The natural extinction rate was about 5 or 10 species per year. Today, the extinction rate has skyrocketed. It is 1,000 to 10,000 times higher. If that higher estimate is correct, we lose a living species every hour, maybe during this hour of worship. This is not sustainable.
When I think about this, I ask myself, “Where is the church?”
Where does Christianity stand on the issue of a dying world? Where do all the Judeo-Christian-Muslim religions stand on the need for global salvation? Is it a sin against God to cause mass extinctions? If so, why are the pulpits so silent on this spiritual question? Most disturbing of all, how can we be sure of our own salvation if we are estranged from God’s creation?
Where do we find answers to these questions? I believe we can find them in the beginning, starting with the book of Genesis.
So, our second reading is from Genesis 1: 1-5
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day”, and the darkness he called “night”. And there was evening, and there was morning, the first day.
Sharing the creation story with people thousands of years ago was challenging. They lacked the knowledge we have today. Earth was the only universe they knew. They believed the firmament, mentioned in Genesis, was a large dome surrounding the Earth from which the stars were hung. We know so much more today. We should use that knowledge to understand what Genesis is telling us.
Based on what we know, the first few sentences of Genesis are about our planet and life on Earth. Yes, God created the heavens, but there is no description of this in the bible. The story begins with the formless, empty darkness of space that our solar system now occupies. With this understanding, verses 1-5 does a good job explaining it in terms that people in any century can understand.
Genesis describes a sequence of creative events that parallel our modern understanding. For example, there was darkness, and then light, clearly a reference to the Sun as our star ignited with a brilliant flash. But there was no day or night until God separated one from the other. Doesn’t this suggest the creation of planets? Isn’t day and night a feature of planets as they spin? The separation of light and darkness on Earth creates evenings and mornings, and literally, there was a first day.
How long all of this took is endlessly debatable, but the question isn't relevant. The Genesis story isn’t about how God created everything; it’s an affirmation that it was God who made it all and a narrative about His relationship to, and our place within, creation. Christian churches today seldom emphasize God’s relationship with nature or the role we are meant to play. So, as I read more passages, listen for these relationships.
If I asked you to name God’s first biblical command, some will say, "I am the LORD your God; you shall not have strange gods before me.”
This is the first commandment that God wrote on a tablet given to Moses, but it isn’t God’s first biblical command. Hear this text from Genesis 1:20-23.
“And God said, “Let the waters teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the skies.” So, God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said be fruitful and increase in number and fill the waters in the seas and let the birds increase on the Earth.”
Be fruitful, increase in number, fill the sea and land ...this is God’s first command issued to all living things from the beginning. God clearly wants the Earth to teem with life. This is what pleases Him. God’s creative plans are still unfolding every day as species continue evolving to fulfill this command. We were given this world to love it as God the world, to witness His greatness, and to be stewards for this purpose.
What do we know today about “life” that God has created? We know it is a self-sustaining and highly complex web of interdependent organisms. All are living within a narrow inhabitable zone that surrounds the surface of our planet like a halo. Scientists call this halo the “biosphere.” We know that all living things exist within it, and nothing living exists outside of it.
The complexity of the Earth is far greater than anything else in the universe. Just three pounds of our brain alone have 100 trillion neural connections, about 50 times the number of galaxies in the universe. This is just one human brain in one of 8 billion people on the planet, each of us comprising 30 trillion cells. We are embedded in an interdependent web of 8.7 million different types of organisms in Earth's biosphere, yet we make up just 0.01% of the world's biomass. Life on Earth is clearly Creation's highest Achievement, and our unique ability to perceive this fact makes us Creation's crowning glory. I believe this because the Bible celebrates all life. Here are a few examples:
Psalms 96: 11-12 says: “let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.”
In Isaiah chapter 55, we read: “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; The mountains and hills will burst forth into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.”
And in Romans 1: 20: “For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen being understood from what has been made so that people are without excuse.”
The Genesis story continues. After God created life in the sea and on land, He made Adam and Eve in his own image so that they could “…rule over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the livestock, and all the earth.” From the beginning, He intended for us to have some control over the natural world. This god-like power is a gift we call “dominion.” We are the only creatures to have dominion over the Earth, and God saw that we were good and blessed us.
Then, He issued His second command to Adam and Eve, saying, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” This command is nearly identical to His first command except for the last three words… “and subdue it.”
“Subdue” is a troublesome word in its modern connotation. It implies Subjugation. But its original meaning was more positive. We can and often do subdue nature, albeit in positive ways. Our survival depends on it. Science and technology, agriculture, medicine, engineering, and construction are all examples of humans subduing nature. It gives us a measure of control no other species has. Having dominion allows us to perceive the world deeply and stand in awe of God and His creation.
In verse 1:29, God says, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit and seed in it; they will be yours for food."
A few verses later, God also gave us all the beasts, birds, and creatures that move along the ground, making clear that plants and animals are our food. We need to respect them and not abuse them.
Then, in verse 31, we read: "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." This tiny planet, with its halo of life, is sacred and beautiful in God’s eyes. From the vantage point of deep space, as the Voyager II spacecraft was leaving the solar system, it was directed to look back at our tiny blue home for one last picture. It captured a single pixel set against the backdrop of the vast expanse of space. The haunting photo is proof that we still live in the Garden of Eden.
Genesis chapter two gives additional details, especially in light of what we know. Verse 4 says:
"… and no shrubs of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plants of the field had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth, and there was no man to work the ground."
This is interesting and significant. It’s interesting because we know there was no rain on Earth for the first half billion years. How did ancient writers come up with that detail? And the words, there was, “... and there was no man to work the ground,” is an affirmation that we are meant to cultivate the land.
Next, in verses 8-9, it says, “God planted a garden in the east as a place for man to live when he was formed… And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground, trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food." This preparation came before Adam was formed. It was possible because life was abundant as God intended.
When the garden was ready, “The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”
Notice we were not made from nothing. We arose from the dust of the Earth. And what is this dust? We know it consists of elements created in the supernova of long-dead stars, and minerals from the formation and ongoing processes in the Earth, and organic chemicals from the remains of long-dead plants and animals. We are made entirely from ingredients found on Earth. We are not physically exotic in any way. I find this fact humbling.
Verse 15, says, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” Adam was put to work in Eden. He was the gardener and caretaker, a role that is still our’s in this kingdom of life.
But, then the Genesis story takes a turn. Mankind falls from grace. God had warned Adam, saying:
“You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it, you will surely die.” Genesis 2: 16-17
Along come a crafty serpent in Chapter 3:1. It approached Eve saying, “You will not surely die … For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Adam and Eve disobeyed God to be more like Him, but they lost paradise as a result. Now we can regain paradise in the next life by serving God’s will and living as Jesus taught us, rejecting what displeases God in this life. We can either love and care for our neighbors or exploit, neglect, and harm them for selfish gain. Similarly, we can love and care for the web of life around us or neglect, exploit, and destroy nature. But only one of these choices leads to abundant life and spiritual salvation.
Our theology of personal salvation may no longer cover all our sins. Our physical and spiritual connection with God’s creation, along with our relationship to others and the natural world, changed abruptly when the first atomic bomb, ironically named "Trinity," was detonated on July 16, 1945. That was 80 years ago.
From that moment forward, we know we have the power to destroy life on Earth. This power has only grown since then, taking many forms as I outlined from the start. I am afraid we are eating again from the forbidden fruit. Our nakedness is exposed as we hide our guilt from God behind fig leaves of denial and excuses.
We have the power to restore our planet if we choose wisely, or to interrupt the circle of life forever if we don’t. We have yet to accept this responsibility. But we still have time to make it right. It is up to us to try.
In closing, can we gain the kingdom of Heaven while destroying our earthly home? What God wants us to reflect on in answering this is in the prayer Jesus taught us:
“… ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.”
AMEN!
This is my rambling reflections on this past week’s Sermon based on Genesis, chapter 6.
ReplyDeleteI liked the traditional sermon on the story of the flood that I heard this week. Hearing the story of Noah and the flood, however, filled me with ideas about the significance for our understanding of God’s relationship with creation and our role as His stewards of the Earth. Here are some of my thoughts:
To my ears, the story of Noah and the flood is not about the destruction and rebuilding of life on Earth or the mass extinction of a corrupt world. That is a much broader interpretation that doesn’t fit the narrative’s scope. I hear a story of a regional disaster that wiped out a corrupt society. Notice how much care was taken to ensure that all the animals most at risk of drowning were saved on the ark to prevent an extinction event. By taking animals in mating pairs, the continuation of their species was secured. However, this preservation effort did not include most other forms of life, such as plants, fungi, or all sea creatures. All of these would survive the flood.
The extreme efforts that God undertook to preserve vulnerable species are an underappreciated part of this story. It exemplifies His present and enduring love for His creatures. While many creatures died in the flood, which was intended to destroy corrupt and evil humans, no species we know of was lost to extinction.
The story of the great flood is a lesson about God’s priorities. For me, this is an example of God’s desire for global salvation. I see a story not just of God saving one righteous human family, but of God protecting his creatures from the harm caused by human corruption.
I see Noah as a biblical example of human stewardship in the service of God and His creation. Noah could have chosen to save his family in a much smaller boat for a lot less effort. But that would not be a righteous act. That would be selfish and disobedient. The vast majority of his efforts in building an ark so large was to save vulnerable species from extinction. Acting to save species from extinction today would likewise be a true measure of our righteous choices and obedience to God’s will.
And speaking of choices, The preacher did a great job of portraying the mental conversation Noah must have had in response to the enormous amount of work and responsibility he was given. Noah had choices and made all the right choices.
When it came to gathering up all the animals, the preacher correctly pointed out that this was not Noah's job. The animals were invited to go aboard the ark by God’s command. I hadn’t considered that before. It’s a reminder that God remains fully engaged with, and in charge of, the natural world. Unlike me, all other creatures perfectly obey His commands. I can’t imagine a single animal having the sort of mental conversations that Noah must have experienced, as was pointed out. Can you imagine a bear saying, “I like my cave. I’m not getting onto that boat. I’ll take my chances here.” I’m sure that God’s desire is the bear’s urge to board the ark with his mate. For the bears and all God’s creatures, there is no capacity to doubt or second-guess.
This points to what it truly means to be made in God’s image, in my view. We share God’s dominion, allowing us to understand the natural world and manipulate nature to create new things. We also share God‘s ability to make choices. We alone can make choices that can please God or defy His wishes. No other creature can say no to God. We do it all the time.
Oh wow! Such a thought provoking sermon Brian! I loved it! You brought forth excellent points and included passages from the Bible that validated your message.
ReplyDeleteEveryone should take the time to read your sermon Brian and reflect on its importance to us all.
Thank you Brian for your insightful message! Debbie Hooper
Thank you for your thoughtful response,Debbie.
ReplyDeletePOSTSCRIPT —In researching and writing this sermon, I have interpreted the passages in Genesis through the lens of thousands of years of knowledge we have gained about the Universe and the development of life on our planet. The freshness of what the ancient Creation story has to say when I wrote this surprised me.
ReplyDeleteAfter sharing my sermon on the internet, I received a complimentary response from the Jewish Earth Alliance. They offered to send me a book written on the basis of a similar approach based on the Song of Songs book in the Bible. It was written by Rabbi Ellen Bernstein, and I recommend it to you. The foreword in this interesting book was written by Bill McKibben, and it captured what I was trying to do in writing my sermon on Genesis. Here are some of the passages that impressed me.
“The Bible is the richest of all our books, filled with stories and images that manage to be both precise and open-ended. This means that as new challenges arise, those stories can be read again, in ways that shed new light on our particular moment…
Let us not mistake what a revolutionary task this new kind of reading can be. For the most part human literature has been about the conflicts between humans. That’s where the action has been,,, Those intense human dramas have played out against a predictable backdrop of the natural world.
But in our time that backdrop is suddenly in motion – suddenly, in fact, it’s the foreground. We need to work out how to conduct the relationship between people and the physical world, a relationship we’ve more or less taken for granted in the past. So we have to turn to our texts for advice on how to navigate – not advice on how to generate clean energy [for example] but on how to be in the world.” — Bill McKibben
Our home is not our shelter. Our home is everything we encounter when we step outside. People living today have become estranged from our natural world. Many religious adherents believe that scientific study of God’s Creation is somehow “ungodly.” This is not possible if God created everything we study. While individual scientists may not feel God’s presence in their work, many do. On the other hand, religious estrangement from nature is also estrangement from God who created life on Earth and deeply loves all He has made. The Bible is full of invitations to seek God’s wisdom woven into the fabric of his creation, and somewhere within the halo of life that surrounds us are the answers to all our needs and prayers.