The Earth is the Lord’s by Rev. Dr. Nadine Burton

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it. For he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters (Psalm 24:1-2 NIV)

Rev. Joan Bell Haynes, Regional Minister for the Central Rocky Mountain Region, posted the beautiful picture above on her Facebook page today. A picture representing earth with the caption “She is the only home we have.” What a wonderful visual reminder of the gift of Mother Earth. All of creation, in the six days it was created, was given to humanity, so that we might enjoy, honor and respect it. It was given to us for sustenance, living and breathing. Gravity is our friend!

Today, we are mindful of what it means to be given such a beautiful gift. The beauty of the trees, mountains, rivers, and streams take our breath away. However, they do not leave us breathless. We bask in the sunshine and honor the storms that come our way. We made our way outside when the Pandemic came, where the air that flowed removed toxins, particles, and viruses away from us. We have seen and testify to the ugly side of the damage to Mother Earth through climate change, erosion in our lands, tsunamis and hurricanes, water pollution and water shortages in different parts of the world.

We are called to be stewards of the earth. Since it is the only earthly home that we have, we should carefully take action to protect its resources. We give back to it through the disciplines of care, recycling, watering, and cleaning – being good stewards in our homes with electricity, gas, water, and/or solar energy. You see, Mother Earth is for us, and it is for those coming after us. Just as we leave a legacy, we must consider how we leave the health of Mother Earth for others to inhabit. Today, as a tree hugger, I give a nod to Mother Earth. As we take care of her, she promises to take care of us.

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