Today’s Author: Anne Haugan
On the third day God separated the waters from the sky and God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together in one place, and let the dry land appear.” God called the dry land Earth and the gathering together of the waters he called seas, and God saw that it was good. He then made humankind to be watchful stewards over the wonders He had created.
Indigenous People refer to the streams and rivers running through Planet Earth as the likes of the arteries of Mother Earth. They nourish our Earth and are essential for vegetation and the life of humankind, as well as all the many creatures God has made to preserve our web of life. Yet as humankind we have bombed the opportunity of being good stewards of God’s creation.
In Minnesota we take our abundant water for granted. However, humans have polluted the water with toxins, microplastics, all sorts of chemicals. Recently there was a UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi where more than 150 countries called for a mandate to curb plastic waste and made a resolution to “end plastic pollution”. Now the international community is involved in preserving the pure waters God created for humankind. It will take years to clean up the mess which has occurred over many years. We are fortunate to have the Department of Natural Resources and such organizations as the Watershed Districts monitoring our water to keep it safe for us to drink.
On April 22 the 52nd Anniversary of EARTH DAY will be celebrated. This has been a movement to fix the astounding environmental issues facing Planet Earth.
Dear Creator God, you have made our world unbelievably beautiful with all the natural resources humans need for an abundant life. We ask your forgiveness for the destruction of much of your creation and the need to be accountable. It is with grateful hearts that leaders have come forward to form organizations to preserve our natural surroundings and work for new scientific solutions to heal this Planet Earth. We pray with hope for a better and more peaceful world. Amen.
Mid-week devotions are authored by members of our community. If you are interested in creating a trio of reflections to be shared on an upcoming Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, contact Pastor Peter.