The God of majesty and might, who flung the stars and moon into the sky and with imagination gone wild created all creatures great and small, is mindful of mortals. It’s a good thing because the crown of creation has chaffed at being a “little lower than God” and desiring more glory and honor has generally made a mess of things. Being mindful does not mean keeping an eye on us, as if the majestic name needed to worry. But the works of God’s hands could use a little relief from human domination and I imagine a good bit of creation “under our feet” wishes we would walk a little more softly. Maybe we should be more mindful of things created a little lower in the same way God does.
A recent Sojourners Magazine article (April 2011, "For God So Loved the Dirt", by Norman Wirzba) made a point worth noting. Norman says we get it wrong when we use the word "steward" to describe our relationship with the creation God has placed under our feet. Our relationship with this earth is to be more that of a gardener than a steward. "God planted a garden in Eden..." (Genesis 2:8) "The Lord God took the human and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it." (Genesis 2:15) The concept of stewardship conveys the role more of manager than hands-on gardener. What this has led to in our culture is the pervasive view that the earth is a megastore where we can shop for anything we want, rather than as a garden that needs careful tending. From Soujourners: "God loves dirt. The God we meet in the garden is not a white-collar or managerial deity who relates to the world by mining or purchasing it. This God kneels and bends down with hands in the soil, molding human, plant, and animal creatures into their distinctive shapes. This God takes the soil and holds it close, taking in its fresh aroma, and then breathes into it life’s vitality, resilience, and beauty. The eyes of this God never come off the land (Deuteronomy 11:12). As the psalmist put it, God is the eternal farmer who comes dressed in overalls ready to water and weed the world, and then revels in its fertility and bounty (Psalm 65:9-13)."
ReplyDeleteNicely said, Greg. Gardener changes one's whole orientation to the earth.
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