A Place at the Table - 35 - Recycle
A Place at the Table - 35 - Recycle
Dear God, we come to You seeking inspiration and direction. Instead of trying to make up new rules and regulations, God, we want You to birth within us Your vision of the Promised Land, Your expression of love and creation. Give us the heart and energy to care for and preserve Your creation. As we think about what this Promised Land looks like, we imagine a place where children are healthy and well, where people work the lands and waters with reverence, and where people give as much or more than they take. God, just as You moved two million people in the Exodus, take us into Your vision of a reconciled world. Let us always be about Your business. Amen.
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I love the line in this prayer about thinking of what the Promised Land looks like - not just the promised land spoken of in Scripture, but the land and the world that we promise to our children. I saw a different thing when reading Genesis a few weeks ago - I had always looked at the series of things created and God’s comments of “it was good” in a bit of a contrast to the creation of humans when it ends saying that God looked and saw that it was very good, not just plain ol good. I had always read that (and heard it preached too) that “very good” just referred to the act of the creation of humans. But when you read the text, it says something different…when God looked and saw ALL that God had made, it was pronounced very good. ALL that God had made. (Genesis 1:31). Not just one part, but ALL. Makes me think even further about our responsibility to the creation that God has given to us. We are not tending it very well. The choices we each make impact those we know (our children, our grandchildren, etc) but impact those we will never know (people who rely on the ocean for their livelihoods, children who are forced to dig in the trash for their food, countries that become dumping grounds for used electronics and so forth. I am thankful for the ways that I see a heart for God’s creation in emerging generations, but we can’t just wait for the generations after our own to take care of this problem. So, today, recycle that plastic bottle. Re-use that plastic bag. Walk instead of drive if you are able. Take steps today that will make a difference today and tomorrow…