Lent II – Laudato Si’

The Second Sunday of Lent

_{The second in a Lenten series on the encyclical, Laudato Si’ of Pope Francis.}

Jesus said, “Look up and see the fields ripe for the harvest” _{[John 4:35]}. “Look at the birds in the sky…they do not sow or reap…”_{[Matthew 6:26]}. “The Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed…”_{[Matthew 13: 31-32]}. “Learn from the way the wild flowers grow”_{[Matthew 6:28]}.

Jesus was very aware of the creation around him and used it to explore and teach about the Reign of God. He understood that creation and we are inseparably connected. This connection marks Jesus’ life. As Saint Francis of Assisi would say, ‘Sister’ Star heralded Jesus’s birth. When ‘Brother’ Wind and ‘Sister’ Water were angry, Jesus calmed them. When Jesus died, all of creation reacted: ‘Mother’ earth quaked, rocks split, and darkness came upon the land because ‘Brother’ Sun hid his face behind ‘Sister’ Moon and wept.

I began last week to preach a series on the Encyclical Letter, Laudato Si” – On Care for Our Common Home of Pope Francis. After reviewing what is ecologically happening to our common home, the earth, Pope Francis invites believer and non-believer, science and religion, into a mutual dialogue to address this existential, spiritual and moral issue.

Francis immerses us in sacred scripture with our great biblical narratives.

In the Book of Genesis, after the completion of creation on the sixth day, God profoundly states that everything from the great constellations and galaxies to the land and seas, from the plants and animals to the human being is very good! [Genesis 1:31] This fundamental goodness within the created order must mark our human relationships and our activities including technology, production, and commerce because they interact with and affect the planet.

These vital interwoven relationships with God, within humanity and with the earth have been broken. Why? Because we have betrayed these relationships. Is not accountability to and for the ‘other’ not an essential part of relationship?

Recall the garden story.

How do you enter a relationship with God when you want to be ‘god’?

How do you engage in a relationship with a person if domination over that person is your objective?

How does the earth share with us in its fruitfulness when she has been cursed, wounded, and stripped naked by us?

Francis is blunt. These ruptures are sin. This distortion has deformed our understanding of the mandate to “have dominion” over the earth. It has resulted in a master–slave relationship rather than a lifelong partnership. Thus, God rejects every claim we make to domination of the planet. The Book of Leviticus pointedly states, “The land is mine; you are strangers and travelers”_{[Leviticus 25: 23]}.

As temporary residents we have been called to “till and keep” the garden of this world _{[Genesis 2:15]}. “Tilling” refers to cultivating and ploughing, while “keeping” means caring for, protecting, overseeing and preserving. This combination of being temporary residents and accountability impels us to care for the earth and those traveling with us. The Book of Deuteronomy instructs that if we encounter an animal that is hurt or a bird’s nest fallen from a tree we to address their situation with care.

I am reminded of the waterfowl that are carefully cleansed with dish-washing liquid of the oil that coats their bodies from petroleum spills along earth’s beaches. Such care recognizes that other living beings have a value of their own in God’s sight and in ours.

The story of Noah reveals the good news of the biblical tradition that when relationships are broken, renewal is possible. It means recovering and respecting the rhythms inscribed in nature by the hand of the Creator. Is not Lent is a season to recover and respect the rhythms God has set for his sons and daughters? A biblical spirituality, which forgets that God is the all–powerful Creator, is not acceptable. This is how we end up worshiping earthly power and ourselves, the ultimate act of idolatry.

The sun and the moon, rivers, mountains and skies are not gods. They are fragile parts of a whole. Our acknowledgment of nature’s fragile state challenges us to limit our power. For we are not God. When we worship ourselves, have we not laid the seeds of our own destruction?

The ultimate purpose of all creatures in this tapestry of creation is not found in humanity. All creation is moving forward together toward a common point, which is God. This movement of creation is expressed in the musically rhythmic Canticle of Daniel, in Psalm 104, and especially in Psalm 150, which concludes, “Let everything that has breath, praise God!”

Yes, “Let everything that has breath…”

As he taught,Jesus took note of creation all around him, which revealed God’s presence. In a like manner, take note of your pets, your plants and your gardens. Observe the changing of seasons as we transition from winter into spring. When was the last time you stopped to watch the great ships of clouds move across the sea of the sky on a windy day? Yes, “Look at the birds in the sky…”. “Learn from the way the wild flowers grow”. Moreover, do not look away from the poor, the homeless and the addicted on our streets.

Find in all of this creative work of God a divine presence revealed to us as it was to Jesus that the earth and we might be renewed.