Shame on us

After over 6 weeks of devastating drought we had a good soaking rain.  One friend said they had over 4 inches in their rain gauge. Fortunately, it didn’t all at once.  Much was a slower, gentler, soaking rain, but make no mistake, streams were flooding, and the ground squished when we walked because the ground was baked so hard; far too much just ran off.  It stopped raining several hours ago, but the skies are still gray and heavy, so we may get more.   Certain areas are under a tornado watch, reminding us that we definitely are not in control!

We don’t understand the difference between climate and weather so we simply ignore our scientists and take our climate and weather for granted, assuming that it is all out of our hands.  But that is absolute nonsense.  We have a grave responsibility to care for this precious planet, and we are failing miserably by making profits and convenience more important than the welfare of the very things that keep us alive: clean water, air,  forests, wild animals, insects, lower temperatures, etc.  The nonsense Donald Trump and the powers that are behind him are feeding him, and his followers is a bunch of lies, claiming there is no such thing as climate change.  Shame on them for being addicted to their own greed and power over the welfare of that which gives us life.

When God, in the Genesis story, told humankind to be the master of the animals and all growing things, to “dominate” the earth,  he was not saying we should take advantage of the blessings God provided.  We need to remember that it was human translators who chose to use the word “dominate” when “caretaker” or “steward” would have been a better choice. Even choosing the word dominate does not mean that we are to lord over and abuse what’s been put into our hands for our own selfish purposes, but to make sure that we tenderly care for this planet and each other.  In that sense, we are to dominate, that is, to prosecute and rein in those who misuse our natural resources for their own selfish purposes.

It’s so easy to assume that all the creature comforts we’ve become accustomed to are good for us.  They aren’t.  Yes, science has improved our standard of living, increased food production, improved health care, and given us air conditioning and central heating,  but at what price?  Dumping pollution into our streams, rivers, and oceans?   Cutting down the precious trees that are the lungs of this planet?  Emitting poisons into our air? Taking advantage of poor black villages and towns to house our garbage dumps and waste depositories that emit cancer-causing poisons into every aspect of their lives? 

Shame.  Shame on us.  Shame on you and me, who are content to sit quietly and do nothing.  Shame on us whites who think we have the right to live better than those who come in varying shades of color and ethnicity.  Shame on our churches that justify white privilege and all that goes with it.  Shame on our governments that allow corporations to get away with literally murdering their citizens all in the name of tax breaks and profits.  Shame on those of us who call ourselves Christian but personally fail to pay attention to what our Master taught when He said, “Follow me,” Instead, we opt for cheap grace and a devious, selfish interpretation of salvation.

God, grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference.  Living one day at a time in a spirit of gratitude and generosity, enjoying one moment at a time because that is all that we will ever have, accepting hardship and self-denial as the pathway to peace.  Help us accept this sinful world as it is (as He did) not as we would have it, trusting that He will make all things right if we surrender to His will, not our own, so that we may be reasonably happy and comfortable in this life, and supremely happy with him forever in the next.  Amen