The other day I was reading an article where the author was making a case for global warming. At the bottom of the article were opinions from readers. One particular statement stood out: “God gave man dominion over all the animals and the earth. Therefore we can do anything we damn well please with it.” Well, that certainly is one opinion.
Much of what I know has come as an outdoorsman. I grew up hunting and fishing and my father and grandfather would talk about the importance of taking care of the land. If we take care of the land then it would take care of us was their sentiment. It’s true. Care of the land meant to care for the animals that gave us our food. It made sense to me that we should leave the land better than we found it. Over the years that understanding has broadened. Maintaining the land is more than hunting and fishing. It is caring for a gift that God has given and we are called to be good stewards for those who follow behind us.
In Care for Creation, we will learn from individuals who practice caring for creation from the eyes of St. Francis. In short, we will think about creation from a theological perspective. What does it mean to be in relationship with God and God’s creation?
Before you begin to read Care for Creation, I invite you to read Eucharistic Prayer C. This prayer speaks directly to God’s act of creating, and not just our earth. As the prayer states: At your command all things came to be: the vast expanse of interstellar space, galaxies, suns, the planets in their courses, and this fragile earth, our island home.
I look forward to hearing the discoveries you are making.
Blessings,
The Rt. Rev. Morris K. Thompson, Jr.
Bishop of Louisiana
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