Something I
read this week: “This is the big lie that the world tells us: The world is
connected by trade agreements, electronic banking, computer networks, shipping
lanes, and the seeking of profit - nothing else. This is the truth of God:
Creation is a holy web of relationship, a gift meant for all; it vibrates with
the pain of all its parts; its destiny is joy."[i]
Others would
tell us we are consumers, clients and customers; our only contribution and
identity is in our financial fingerprint.
When we watch
the news, we see war and greed.
We hear of
death and division.
The story we
tell of creation, of the earth or an organisation, or a congregation, says
something of the values of the entity. In
2 weeks we celebrate the anniversary of the Uniting Church, I wonder what story
we tell about the formation and identity of the UCA?
Is it one of
joy and trust, unease at change?
For me one of
the great things about the formation of the UCA is “... that its primary
concern was not simply with the mechanical problem of how to achieve a merger
of three institutions, but with the existential question of what it means to be
the church in Australia in the second half of the twentieth century.”[1]
If we look at
Genesis 1, looking for truth not science or history, we just might find out who
we belong to, and our role in life.[ii]
There are
many creation stories, and one commentator ‘describes the shaping of the
creation narrative of Genesis as a counter-cultural protest of the people of
Israel against the creation story of their Babylonian captors. While their
oppressors saw the origins of the universe as violent and bloody, the
Israelites told their children a different story, a story rooted in goodness
and blessing’.[iii]
We are
connected to each other and the whole of creation.
In Genesis,
we read of God making people in the image of God.
In psalm 8, people
are a little lower than God.
And both the
Psalm and Genesis give humanity ‘dominion’ over the creation. We have animals
and birds and fish and plants to eat.
With dominion
comes responsibility, for each other and all of creation. We are given this responsibility
by God. We may be ‘over’ the rest of creation, but only at the pleasure of God,
as an ambassador.[iv]
Our role is
the care for the earth and creation, as God does. We are told in Genesis that
God saw the creation as good, do we treat creation as good and beautiful, or
something to be used with regard for the future?
It is easy to
act out of a sense of entitlement rather than one of responsibility. [v]
As people
created in the “image of God,” Christians are summoned to reflect God’s care
for the world of creation and for human community. In that calling, we have an
example and a model in Jesus, the quintessential image of God.[vi]
We are
created in the image of God, we have been given responsibility for the care of
creation, but we are not God.
Matthew’s
gospel ends with what is generally known as the Great Commission, Go and make
disciples of all nations …, how do we do this?
By baptising
and teaching. The baptism formula is Trinitarian – today, we still baptise in
the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
There is also
a promise in this passage: ‘And remember, I am with you always, to the end of
the age.’ One person calls this passage the Great Promise. [vii]
The promise
that we are not on our own.
The creation
story reminds us who we belong to – God
That creation
came out of goodness, love and blessing
And that
shows us how to take on our responsibility for the earth – with goodness, love
and blessing
And in all
this we are not on our own, we are:
Created in
the image of God
Accompanied
by Jesus
Filled with
the Holy Spirit
What would
you dream, dare, and do if you believed that Jesus is with you, no matter
what.”
what would
you do if you knew that God was for you and with you no matter what and
forever.[viii]
[i]
I like this quote from Julie Polter, from Facebook Nicked
off Sue Weller McKinnon's page
[ii]
Rev. Dr. Rachael Keefe in https://revgalblogpals.org/2017/06/07/revised-common-lectionary-it-was-good/
