Discipleship

February 15, 2021

Scripture Reading: Genesis 9:8-17
Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, ‘As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.’ –Genesis 9:8-11

I made a quick run to the grocery store today because a massive weather system is heading toward Oklahoma with predictions of a lot of snow and perhaps even a blizzard. My car data indicated it was 16 degrees outside when I backed out of my driveway. It dropped to 11 degrees by the time I parked at the store. I got my food and, hurrying back to my car, saw a bird perched on a grocery cart left stranded in the lot. The bird looked so cold and almost like it was in shock. I am no expert on birds, but it was medium-sized with various shades of brown feathers. Where do birds go in freezing weather? The news reported earlier this week that a mother dog and her newborn pups had been found, all frozen to death. Another litter of pubs had been tossed in a store trash can. Staff heard them and rescued them even though their little mouths were frozen shut when they were first discovered.

Climate change is impacting all creatures, great and small. Earlier in Genesis, humans were given dominion over the earth, God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.’ –Genesis 1:28 We are responsible for the care of the earth and all that is in it. Dominion means to rule over, which sometimes leads people to think they are authorized to use the world for personal aggrandizement. God, the Creator, is the ultimate example of one who rules. We are to follow his example of not destroying the planet.

Prayer: Lord, teach us how to care for the earth as you ordained us to do. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.