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The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; for he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers. –– Psalm 24:1-2
You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills, giving drink to every wild animal; the wild asses quench their thirst. By the streams the birds of the air have their habitation; they sing among the branches. From your lofty abode you water the mountains;
the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.You cause the grass to grow for the cattle, and plants for people to use, to bring forth food from the earth … 16The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. In them the birds build their nests; the stork has its home in the fir trees. The high mountains are for the wild goats; the rocks are a refuge for the coneys. –– Psalm 104:10-14a, 16-18
I was nine years old when the first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970. The previous year, Sen. Gaylord Nelson witnessed the zeal of the anti-war movement and pondered what could happen if such energy could be channeled toward an awareness of the impact of air and water pollution. You may remember that this was around the same time of a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, CA and the infamous fire on Cleveland’s heavily polluted Cuyahoga River. Though it was the smaller of the two events, the river fire became a lasting symbol people could point to in demonstrating the undeniably destructive impact humans were having on the health of the earth. Thus, Sen. Nelson partnered with Congressman Pete McCloskey to initiate a bipartisan campaign for environmental awareness and action which resulted in that first Earth Day. I actually remember it, though admittedly not because of any philosophical awakening. I remember the colorful patch of the Earth Day symbol that my mom sewed into my jeans (patches on jeans were big at the time). I remember that my grade school teacher took us out to plant a tree. Yet, what I also remember vividly was a filmstrip, two frames of which depicted the consequences of action or inaction. As you can imagine, one depicted a smog-choked urban environment of gray, while the other presented the vibrant colors of Spring with happy butterflies and bluebirds. It was simplistic but effective because I still remember it, and it regularly comes to mind when I hear nightly reports of extreme temperatures, epochal storms, deadly droughts, and the potential that some populated areas could become inhabitable.
Though it’s still active, you don’t hear that much about Earth Day these days, and I rarely see any of those cool green patches with the symbol that looks like the Greek letter Theta. However, that initial movement did spur intentional efforts to clean up the rivers and the Great Lakes. Yet, we’re beginning to recognize that, with regard to global warming, we have passed the tipping point that leads to disastrous environmental consequences. We don’t speak as much about solving the climate crisis, but about mitigating its impact and acceleration.
When God gave humans “dominion” in Genesis, the emphasis was not on power, and certainly not on sovereignty. For “the earth is the Lord's and all that is in it.” Rather, dominion was about being stewards of what is God’s. As people of faith, we are called to be caretakers of what God has made, and to be active players in efforts to heal the earth. When considering the care of the earth, we should no longer speak of they, and instead, focus on we. What can we do now so that future generations may thrive? What can we do now, right now, to care for God’s creation? If there was ever a moment for us to live into the spirit of that Tim O’Brien song, it is now –– When you pray, move your feet.
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