The Glory of the Heavens in 2024

 

 O Lord, our Sovereign,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens.

    Out of the mouths of babes and infants
you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,
    to silence the enemy and the avenger.

 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
    the moon and the stars that you have established;
 what are humans that you are mindful of them,
    mortals that you care for them?

 

                                                     Psalm 8 NRsvue

When I looked to the psalm reading for this first day of 2025 I found that is the eighth in the Psalter, with the heading "Divine Majesty and Human Dignity." It is a psalm of the heavens, although not "pie in the sky when we die, and a Creation psalm as well.

In 2024 we were blessed with a number of heavenly experiences. We donned our eclipse glasses In April for a view and then watched the shadow sweep across a large field as confused Spring Peeper frogs gave voice in the darkness.

At the Summer Solstice in June we were on Haida Gwaii, the astonishingly beautiful islands off the BC coast, close to Alaska. We'd never been that far north at that time of year and the seemingly endless daylight was novel.

In August we were on Change Islands, off Newfoundland, near Fogo, where we set our alarm for the wee hours of a rare clear night in the hope of seeing the Milky Way. As I noted before, Ruth let me go first while she kept the bed warm (very considerate). I returned to let her know that not only was the Milky Way visible, so were Perseid meteors and the Northern Lights, albeit rather pale.  

All of these, along with beasts of the field, birds of the air, and fish of the sea, were "signs and wonders" inviting us to praise the Creator and delight in Creation. 

I hope there is more to come for all of us as appreciative Groundlings in the year before us. And I pray that we humans can exhibit much more humility and far less dominion, misinterpreted as domination, as well.

Happy New Year!

Yet you have made them a little lower than God
    and crowned them with glory and honor.
 You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;
    you have put all things under their feet,
 all sheep and oxen,
    and also the beasts of the field,
 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
    whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

 O Lord, our Sovereign,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Psalm 8 NRsvue (continued)

A Prayer for the Planet on New Year's Eve

 

A Prayer For Our Earth By Pope Francis

All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures. You embrace with your tenderness all that exists. Pour out upon us the power of your love, that we may protect life and beauty. Fill us with peace, that we may live as brothers and sisters, harming no one. O God of the poor, help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this Earth, so precious in your eyes. Bring healing to our lives, that we may protect the world and not prey on it, that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction. Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain at the expense of the poor and the Earth. Teach us to discover the worth of each thing, to be filled with awe and contemplation, to recognize that we are profoundly united with every creature as we journey towards your infinite light. We thank you for being with us each day. Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle for justice, love and peace. Amen.

Praying With My Feet in Presqu'ile

 Yesterday I left Belleville as dawn was breaking for Pontypool, near Lindsay. My purpose was taking daughter Jocelyn to the new Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough but I left early so I could be there as our two grandkids got on the bus. That was fun and the museum delivered on this second occasion to walk through the display hall. There are 115 canoes and kayaks on exhibit, I overheard from a tour, and another 150 in storage. 

The trips up and back were an unexpected bonus with glorious Fall colours along the way. As I drove north from Port Hope the sun was rising, turning stands of deciduous trees into stained glass windows. to my surprise I found myself quite emotional because of the unanticipated beauty. 

My plan was to scoot directly home after our outing but as I approached the Brighton exit from Highway 401 I had a carpe diem moment and headed down to Presqu'ile Provincial Park on Lake Ontario. I settled on the short Jobe's Woods trail and it was marvelous. At one point I decided to kick my feet through the leaves and was transported back to childhood. 

It occurred to me that swishing through Autumn leaves is a unique seasonal sound unfamiliar to most of the planet's population and that I was praying with my feet. I've written in the past about "prayer walking" a contemplative form of sensory sauntering akin to the now popular forest bathing. We might consider prayer with our eyes and ears as well as our hearts and minds, so why not our feet? 

Do you recall when I asked whether there were hymns about the marvels of Winter and reader Shirley wrote delightful lyrics in response. I wonder if there are any hymns that extoll the wonders of Fall colours, brisk temperatures, drifting leaves? 

I hope you are able to "seize the day" for a walk in the woods, wherever you may be. Please praise the Creator while you're out there, and kick a few leaves along the path.

The Wild Robot & a Biodiversity Conference

 

We went to see the animated film, The Wild Robot, with two of our grandchildren and we all agreed it's quite good. It's your classic "robot marooned on an island bonds with a Canada goose gosling" story we've all come to love. It is actually about the improbable triumph of love and it definitely tugs at the heartstrings. 

I noticed that one description places the drama on a "deserted" island, which says a lot about human perception. This temperate rainforest island actually teems with creatures we would readily recognize here in Canada and there are ark-like aspects to the story. What is missing is humans so therefore uninhabited according to this synopsis.

Since we saw The Wild Robot another grim report has been issued about the alarming decline in biodiversity over the past 50 years, a mere blip in time. Humans are everywhere and its tempting to describe ourselves as an invasive species pushing out the creatures on which we depend for healthy ecosystems. 

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the United Nations Biodiversity Conference in Cali, Colombia. The hope is that over the course of 12 days a new biodiversity framework will be worked out. Here is part of the introduction: 

Gathering in one of the most biodiverse landscapes on the planet, governments, Indigenous leaders, the business community and civil society will discuss the challenges and opportunities we face to reverse habitat loss, protect endangered species and preserve the ecosystems on which all life depends. The stakes couldn’t be higher. 

The goal is to transform the commitments of the 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) into actionable plans. Implementing the GBF demands global cooperation, recognizing biodiversity’s critical role in our economy, food security, climate stability, and planetary health. Ultimately, the decisions made at COP16 will shape our planet’s future.

There are critics who claim that the Christian religion and the Judeo/Christian tradition are responsible for an attitude of "dominion", essentially a biblically sanctioned plunder of the Earth's resources and the disenchanting of the Web of Creation. I would suggest that we have ignored and distorted the Biblical witness to our great peril. I would heartily agreed with Patriarch Bartholomew of the Orthodox Church who said back in 1997: 

For humans to cause species to become extinct and to destroy the biological diversity of God’s creation… For humans to degrade the integrity of Earth by causing changes in its climate, by stripping the Earth of its natural forests, or destroying its wetlands… For humans to injure other humans with disease, for humans to contaminate the Earth’s waters, its land, its air, and its life, with poisonous substances… These are sins.

Even if you're not a big fan of animated films (I'm not, particularly) The Wild Robot is worth seeing, especially in the 3D format. But why rave about the special effects of a film when we have the opportunity to experience and preserve the wonders of our planetary home? Turtle Island, God's good Earth, is under threat but not deserted. 

A Small & Hopeful Victory for Eco-justice

 

Ecojustice 

@ecojustice_ca

BREAKING: Ontario’s top court has overturned the dismissal of

@ecojustice_ca

’s youth-led climate Charter case, allowing our clients’ challenge to ON gov’s climate target rollbacks to move forward. Read more https://hubs.ly/Q02TRHmV0

Take away from me the noise of your songs;
    to the melody of your harps I will not listen.
24 But let justice roll down like waters,
    and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

Amos 5: 23, 24 NRSVue

Remember Greta Thunberg? Of course you do. Thunberg's climate activism began as a kid when she persuaded her parents to change their carbon footprint ways. In 2018, at the age of fifteen. she decided not to return to school until the Swedish government developed a responsible climate action plan. Her solitary vigil on the steps of parliament In August attracted other young people who were concerned about their future and the health of the planet. This became to School Strike for Climate and Fridays for Future with teens and others around the globe.

There were huge rallies in major cities and smaller towns with one of the largest in Montreal where school boards cancelled classes and an estimated half a million people marched through the streets. Thunberg was invited to address the United Nations and other forums where she was blunt in her criticism of the inaction of governments.

Another outcome of this movement has been legal action taken by groups of young people claiming that the unwillingness to take real action on climate change was a violation of their rights and those of future generations. Some of these challenges have been heard, others dismissed, including here in Ontario. Now the Ontario Court of Appeals has overturned that dismissal, what is at least an initial victory.

Lots of adults, including the Orange Menace, derided Thunberg, demonstrating that the term "childish" can be applied to people of any age. As I've said before, these are prophetic voices in the sense that they challenge the status quo, greed, and indifference to the plight of the marginalized, including other species. While these young people may not be religious in intent there is is a powerful spiritual element to their message and action. I figure that they are following courageously in the footsteps of the biblical prophets in ways political leaders and the "profits" of industry have failed to do, despite their weasel words.

Whatever their religious convictions, I hope the God of Creation blesses them and gives them strength. Let eco-justice roll down like a clean, clear stream.

How can we dance when our earth is turning?

How do we sleep while our beds are burning?
How can we dance when our earth is turning?
How do we sleep while our beds are burning?

The time has come to say fair's fair
To pay the rent now, to pay our share

chorus from Beds are Burning -- Midnight Oil 

The Courageous Witness of the Tree-Huggers

 

                                                               Tree Guardians in India, 1974

If you besiege a town for a long time, making war against it in order to take it, 

you must not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them. 

Although you may take food from them, you must not cut them down. 

Are trees in the field human beings that they should come under siege from you?

                      Deuteronomy 20: 19 NRSVue

From time to time this photo pops up on social media and it gives me cause for pause. 

In 1974, 50 years ago now, a woman named Gaura Devi led 27 of the women from her Indian village where they confronted loggers were about to take down 2,500 trees in a nearby forest. 

According to a description of what was the beginning of the Chipko movement, when all talking failed, and the loggers started to shout and abuse the women, threatening them with guns, the women resorted to hugging the trees to stop them from being felled. The women kept an all-night vigil guarding their trees against the cutters until a few of them relented and left the village. The next day, when the men and leaders returned, the news of the movement spread to the neighbouring Laata and other villages including Henwalghati, and more people joined in. Eventually, after a four-day stand-off, the contractors left.

We all know that the term "tree-hugger" is used in a derisive manner to describe environmentalist and other naive do-gooders, including people of faith, who protest the destruction of trees vital to our survival as human beings. Over the years we've seen countless photos and film footage of confrontations between loggers and those who resist the "harvesting" of trees that have taken hundreds of years to grow, including many in Canada. 

                                                                        Lyell Island Blockade 1985

When we were in Haida Gwaii in June we took a boat trip to Gwaii Hanaas, a remarkable chain of islands forming what is now a Canadian/Haida National Park. It was being clearcut until a blockade of Haida people, including auntie elders, brought it to a standstill and eventually led to a new agreement for protection. Seeing Lyell Island, the site of the blockade was powerful, and being able to view large blocks of clearcut in various locations was sobering. Walking amidst these giants on various trails, was breath-taking and worshipful. We often stopped to thank God, Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer for the trees, as we do on many of our hikes and paddles. 

Again and again I've noted how often the bible speaks of trees, metaphorically and practically, literally from beginning to end. There is even an instruction to be careful about cutting down trees during conquest. 

Listen Groundlings, the Creator loves trees so surely we should as well!

                                                     Ruth and her new BFF on Haida Gwaii

                                                              A Safe Bear Encounter on Haida Gwaii

All Good Gifts Around us Are Sent from Heaven Above

  

1 We plough the fields and scatter the good seed on the land,

but it is fed and watered by your almighty hand;

you send the snow in winter, the warmth to swell the grain,

the breezes and the sunshine, and soft refreshing rain.

All good gifts around us are sent from heaven above;

we thank you, God, O holy God, for all your love.

2 You only are the maker of all things near and far;

you paint the wayside flower, you light the evening star;

the winds and waves obey you, by you the birds are fed;

much more to us, your children, you give us daily bread.  R

3 We thank you then, O Maker, for all things bright and good,

the seed-time and the harvest, our life, our health, our food;

accept the gifts we offer for all your love imparts,

and, what from us you long for, our humble, thankful hearts.  R

                                  Voices United 520 

I find many of the newer hymns and praise songs refreshing and some of the older hymns deserved to be kicked to the curb because of suspect theology and turgid tunes. At the same time, some of those newer pieces are rather insipid and the older ones are rich poetry set to music. 

 I do love some of the traditional hymns for Thanksgiving, in part because they remind us that we shouldn't take eating for granted. Celebrating the harvest may seem to a long way from our everyday experience in an urbanized and digital society, but isn't that a good argument for what Thanksgiving is about? God created the Earth and blesses us with its bounty. We give thanks and recommit ourselves to care for Creation. 

One of the older hymns, We Plough the Fields, was given a shot of creative energy in the 70s musical Godspell, with the spoken addition of Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6. In the early 1960s one of the traditional tunes was graced with lyrics that invite us to be responsible stewards of extraction in mines and forests, industries that are more and more mechanized and potentially destructive. 

 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,[ or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?

Matthew 6: 25-30 NRSVue 

When we lived in Sudbury, a mining city in Northern Ontario, I brought chunks of nickel ore into the sanctuary for one Thanksgiving Sunday (no small feat of persuasion and engineering) and placed them in clear view on the steps to the dais. The Sudbury Basin is known for its rich deposits of nickel, copper, gold, and an enormous smelter smokestack. When I arrived on the Sunday morning there was an additional rock, essentially a small boulder, that had been added to the array. I was puzzled but carried on with worship, only to learn later that our music director, a guy with an off kilter sense of humour, had picked it up from the roadside of a construction site on his way to the church. Blessed are the pranksters. 

1 Give thanks, my soul, for harvest,  for store of fruit and grain;

but know the owner gives so  that we may share again.

Where people suffer hunger, or little children cry,

with gifts from God's rich bounty may thankfulness reply.

2 Give thanks, my soul, for riches of woodland, mine, and hill;

but know that gold and timber are the Creator's still.

God lends to us, as stewards, abundance we might share,

and thus provide earth's children the blessing of God's care.

3 Give thanks, my soul, for labours,  that strength and days employ;

but know the Maker's purpose brings toil as well as joy.

Show forth, O God, your purpose; direct our will and hand

to share your love and bounty with all in every land.

                                                   Voices United  522