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We should care for God’s beautiful creation

Philip Young explains his passion for God’s creation, which has prompted him to write a poem to challenge us to action.

Psalm 8 is one of my favourite Psalms: -
 
“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
The moon and the stars that you have established.
What are human beings that you are mindful of them?
Yet you have made them a little lower than God,
And crowned them with glory and honour.
You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under their feet,
All sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
Oh Lord, our Sovereign,
How majestic is your name in all the earth!” (verses 3 to 9)

 
This speaks to me of God as creator and that human beings are part of his creation. We are made in his image and likeness. From God comes wisdom and, as his children, we share in that wisdom. We are named ‘Homo sapiens’ which literally means ‘human beings that are wise’.
 
God has given us to look after his creation and to care for it. As we face the current climate crisis and ecological breakdown, I believe God is calling us to use our wisdom so that we can care for his creation.
 
I felt inspired to write the poem below and I intend to give a copy of this to every Member of Parliament on Wednesday October 20. My Christian faith is, I believe, calling me to challenge our leaders as we lead up to the COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow at the beginning of November. We need to ask our leaders to take action to care for God’s beautiful creation.
 
I think it is good to ask ourselves what our Christian faith means in the 21st century. Is God calling us to speak up for the causes of creation, justice, and peace? I personally believe the Holy Spirit is calling us to be active in these areas, alongside preaching the good news of God’s love and forgiveness, brought to us in Jesus Christ.
 
I hope the poem can challenge us live up to being Homo sapiens.
  
Turn and travel well again
 
Turn, turn,
each day I journey well,
travelling the elliptic,
each year I journey well,
Moon circling round me,
each month the waters rising and falling,
like the notes in a deeply loved symphony,
turning and travelling well,
dancing the dance of life,
in all its fullness and diversity.
 
Turn, turn,
each day I journey less well,
travelling the elliptic,
each year I journey less well,
Homo sapiens, listen to my cries,
Moon circling round me,
but the waters disturbed and troubled,
like alarm bells close to midnight,
turning and travelling ill,
dancing the dance of death,
in all its hollowness and conformity.
 
Turn, turn,
this day the time for homo sapiens to turn,
travelling the elliptic,
this year the time for sapiens
to turn away from playing the fool,
Moon circling round me,
each month a time for action,
no time to lose,
we are far past the midnight hour,
turn and travel well again,
dancing the dance of life,
in all its fullness and diversity.
  
The photo of the earth is courtesy of pixabay.com



Philip Young June 2014Philip is an Anglican, Quaker, and a member of the Third Order of Franciscans, and now lives in Felixstowe. Until July 2014 he was the Diocesan Environmental Officer for the Norwich Diocese. In June 2017 he stood as an Independent Candidate for the General Election in the Suffolk Coastal Constituency.  He is now Associate Priest at St. John and St. Edmund in Felixstowe and a freelance writer on spiritual and political matters. He is available to run Quiet Days, give talks, presentations or to preach and can be contacted at philipyoung@btinternet.com. Philip is developing a new website www.revolutionoflovenow.com.


 

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