Recently, I snuck away to be with a friend for a weekend camping trip. My friend could not take off days during the week right now, so I took off a Saturday and Sunday and we headed west to spend a short time in the George Washington Forest along the border of Virginia and West Virginia.
The first night we camped in a clearing and were able to look up and see the night sky filled with stars. We had a day of hiking through the woods and along a ridgeline and some spectacular views from a large rock outcropping. We saw an eagle ride the currents of wind. We saw salamanders and toads and lots of other critters and creepy crawlers. Although I missed seeing folks at church on that Sunday morning, I felt that God was close at hand while I was immersed in a wild and natural setting.
We so often give our attention to the world that human beings have shaped and the ties we have with other people. It is becoming increasingly clear to me that God calls us to recognize the connections we have with the non-human world as well. The ways we consume and make use of the world around us are significant. Water, air, soil, minerals, energy resources, plants, and animals, are to be valued and conserved because these things come from God. We are called to care for creation, not just exploit it and use it for our own purposes.
There are signs around us that the natural world is not doing well. The melting of glaciers, persistent drought, rise in sea level, and so on tell us that the natural world is threatened. It seems like there is very little that we might do as individuals, but we need to do something. As we learn about the dangers that are present, we can discover ways to offer responsible care to the world that God has made. We can each do our part.
As we go through the summer, this might be an ideal time for all of us to consider the world around us and what things we can do to care for creation.
Pastor Steve