Living in the Spirit

August 31, 2021

Scripture Reading:

Isaiah 35:4-7a
Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
   ‘Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
   He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
   He will come and save you.’

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
   and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then the lame shall leap like a deer,
   and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,
   and streams in the desert;
the burning sand shall become a pool,
   and the thirsty ground springs of water;
the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp,
   the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

When I moved to Denver in 1975, I took water for granted. Yes, I was coming from a state that the Dust Bowl had ravaged, but that had been several years earlier. We did have years with less rain than other years, but water was readily available. In Denver, I learned that the Colorado River was the primary source of water, and it must be protected; it had to last forever if the people of that region were to survive. Unfortunately, the news recently reported that the Colorado River was quickly receding and may soon be unable to preserve the life it had supported for so long. Scientists and others were searching for solutions while the people worked to conserve the water that they have. They may have learned from the history of the Dust Bowl that we must care for the earth if it is to sustain our lives.

The Dust Bowl resulted from a combination of climate change, several seasons of drought, and farming practices primarily designed to get maximum crop production. The flatlands of Oklahoma could produce much more wheat and other crops if the land were plowed in long straight rows. The farmers who settled in Oklahoma from areas that were not so flat took the fullest advantage of those straight rows. Thus, after many weeks without rain and when the wind came sweeping down the plain*, it picked up the topsoil and sent it flying to other parts of the country. Significant changes in farming practices were required to return the earth to fertile ground. Part of this was a lack of knowledge regarding farming on flat land and other terrains. Part was greed to produce as many crops as possible.

The above scripture reminds us that humans tend to see and hear what they want rather than face reality. The truth is, we must cohabit the world with one another, sharing its abundance and its natural wonders so that it can continue to sustain us so all can have enough of the necessities of life.

Prayer: Lord, help us see the reality before us and adjust our lives to assure that the earth can survive and all can have enough. Amen.

*Lyric from the song Oklahoma see at https://www.allmusicals.com/lyrics/oklahoma/oklahoma.htm

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.