Read: Genesis 1:26-31; Psalm 8; and Colossians 1:15-20.
We’re living through unprecedented times. The past we knew is gone; the future that will emerge “after COVID-19” is uncertain. In this “space in between” it sometimes feels like the warp and wept of reality has come unraveled. That’s the name of the current sermon series at Good Shepherd. A fitting time to consider this topic for sure!
The discussion bought to mind another sermon I heard preached in July 2016. In it Rev. Carletta Allen reflected that, in the aftermath of several recent incidents of racial violence, some in her congregation suggested that, “Things are getting so much worse in our world.” Her response has always stuck with me—and I think it truly resonates now:
No, things aren’t getting worse, they are just being exposed.
We must hold on—and keep pushing back the veil.
Consider, for example, an old rug in our home. Over years and years, its fibers have come unraveled. We are just about to replace it when we notice something. The space between the backing and the weaving is not empty. There is another layer underneath. The unraveling has exposed a hidden image! We stop to carefully examine what we have discovered.
Here’s a question for us:
I’m sure we could all name things—both personally and corporately—that have come to light.
What is the current pandemic isolation exposing
that we need to ponder?
I’m sure we could all name things—both personally and corporately—that have come to light.
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| April 22, 2020 is Earth Day. Image credit: NASA |
Since today is the 50th Earth Day, I’d like to focus on what this extended period of reduced human activity has exposed about our home planet—and the choice it presents for us.
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is a pollutant that is emitted from burning fossil fuels. The average NO2 concentrations during March 2020 over the Northeast U.S. were considerably lower than the average values for March over the past four years—as shown here.
Similar pollution reduction has been observed in other places that have experienced economic slowdowns as a result of COVID-19. Animals travel on highways and bridges normally overcrowded with automobiles, mountain peaks are suddenly visible on the horizon of some cities in India and China—all sort of things are being exposed!
These images permit glimpses of a potential future for our planet—one with cleaner skies and water, and more sustainability for us and for future generations. A vision appears in front of us. Whether it emerges or remains elusive is up to us. For it to become reality, to paraphrase Rev. Allen: Our job is to hold on to the vision and keep pushing back the veil. In other words, we’ll have to develop the collective will to do the hard work required to make it last. While we realistically can’t completely eliminate our use of fossil fuels immediately, we could certainly commit to making some changes as a society that would significantly reduce our dependence on them as we move forward.
The choices we make will help to shape the world that emerges after this crisis. It has been that way since the Beginning. God gave human beings dominion over the created world (Genesis 1:26; Psalm 8:6). It was a charge to reflect the image of our Creator (Genesis 1:27, Colossians 1:15), to share God’s care for creation, and rule over it justly and benevolently for the common good of all. As followers of Christ, who binds all things together (Colossians 1:17), we’re each to do our part to rebind what has been unraveled by sin and injustice wherever we have influence.
Unfortunately, as humans are wont to do, we’ve tended to turn the focus on ourselves. We’ve interpreted dominion as a license to impose our will over the created world and exploit the Other for our benefit.
Clearly the choices we make have consequences for our planet. The Switzerland option isn’t really viable. We either work with God to make Earth more beautiful and good or we work against God and add to ugliness and evil. Which brings us back to our original question:
What is this time of pandemic isolation exposing in you?
and now, the crucial follow-up…
What will you choose to do about it?
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