Hope for Precarious Planet

A couple of great quotes from Mahatma Gandhi:

Considering the creation seems to universally lead to worship of the Creator:

"When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in the worship of the creator."
When considering the love of neighbor, remember joy above duty:

"Service which is rendered without joy helps neither the servant nor the served. But all other pleasures and possessions pale into nothingness before service which is rendered in a spirit of joy."

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Scriptures that I quoted regarding our stewardship and dominion over the creation, a "coronation" of sorts in the words of Walter Brueggeman, and the story of the Good Samaritan:

Psalm104: God's hands on care for the creation and it's creatures

Psalm 8: the awe and wonder of our responsibility bestowed upon us by God

Luke 10:25-37: The definitive story in the gospels around the story of the Good Samaritan presenting the dual questions of "Who is my neighbor?" and "Which of those in the story was a neighbor by the side of the road?"

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A couple of Tedtalks that were instructive for me about climate change:

"Why Climate Change is a threat to Human Rights" - Mary Robinson (former President of Ireland) speaks about her change of heart when she encountered President Tong of Kiribati and Constance Okellet of Uganda and how climate change was already causing upheaval in their cultures.
http://www.ted.com/talks/mary_robinson_why_climate_change_is_a_threat_to_human_rights

Also consider Larry Brilliant's "Case for Optimism" in the midst of the environmental challenges which identifies humanity's latent ability to mobilize and face grand global threats, like small pox, and address them decisively.
http://www.ted.com/talks/larry_brilliant_makes_the_case_for_optimism

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Active Prayers for a Healthy Planet

     by Karen Speerstra

 

If this topic is a passion for you, consider purchasing or downloading this devotional that speaks of both the beauty of and the threats to the environment.

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Go take a stroll in the beautiful creation.
Praise God for its beauty.
Pray for God's wisdom to be wise stewards of the earth for all of our neighbors: the marginalized, the emerging nations, and the future generations.