Seeds And A New Creation

The creation crisis that threatens our childrens’ future gets worse almost daily.  It is caused by the mass selfishness of humans, but strident environmental voices partly blame Christianity for it.  Chandran Nair, the founder of the Global Institute for Tomorrow, says the Judaeo-Christian teaching of establishing dominion over nature and endless growth – ‘go forth and multiply’ – has contributed to this raping of the earth.

He misses the fact that there is a world-wide strand within all the main Christian communions which call us to celebrate and steward creation and see it as a sacrament.  Seeds, bees etc go forth and multiply – are they capitalists?  Both the Epistle and Gospel readings (see sub-title)  speak of seeds, sowing, and creation.

St. Paul (Romans 8) says creation is indeed groaning – but he does not see this as death-throws but as birth pangs.  Elsewhere he urges us to see Christ-filled people as the first fruits of a new creation

God’s kingdom is like a field in which the owner sows good seed. – plants, fish, birds, animals, humans - but the enemy (that is selfish tendences contrary to the harmony of creation) sows weeds.  There is no harmony without ceaseless struggle against our selfish tendencies.  If you see something going wrong with the earth, do something.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.” 

What do we sow?  We sow love.

Holy Spirit,
breathe upon the cosmos.
May it share in Christ’s resurrection
and grow with the birth pangs of his kingdom.
May we, even in the middle
of its groanings and agony,
be instruments of its healing
and breathe peace upon it this day.

From Dance of Creation  Ray Simpson Anamchara Books