Time for Nature, Time for Creation

All things bright and beautiful,
all creatures great and small,
all things wise and wonderful:
in love, God made them all.

1 Each little flower that opens,
each little bird that sings,
God made their glowing colours,
God made their tiny wings.  R

5 God gave us eyes to see them,
and lips that we might tell
how great is God our maker,

who has made all things well.  R

Today is United Nations World Environment Day, an event which is recognized in more than 100 countries around the world. The theme this year is Time for Nature, which seems rather innocuous -- isn't it always? Digging a little deeper we find that the theme refers to a focus on biodiversity as species loss and degradation of nature This is actually hugely important and many scientists have pointed to a loss of biodiversity as contributing to the spread of disease and the possibility of pandemics. Can you imagine what global chaos might occur if a novel virus was unleashed?

Once again we are reminded that the ways in which humans tend to nature, or Creation as many of the world's religions term it, are essential. In our Judeo/Christian traditions we affirm a biblical message that we are both created and directed to be loving, responsible stewards of Creation. The diversity of creatures is not something to be exploited by humans but regarded with respect and reverence and responsibility. 

We are not outside biodiversity looking in, rather integrally part of it. We ignore this at our peril. That's not so hard to understand, is it Groundlings? As the cherished old hymn says, God gave us eyes to see them, and lips that we might tell. 

To care about our planet, we don't have to be a tree-hugger or a liberal.
All we have to be is a human who depends on our shared home for every breath we take,
all food and water we need,
and the materials we use to make everything we have.
And as far as I know, we're all that.

Katharine Hayhoe Climate Scientist, Christian & Canadian