Looking to the Future from the Ashes of the Present

Proper 15 Year B: 1 Kings 2:10-12, 3:3-14; Psalm 111; Eph. 5:15-20; John 6:51-58

Psalm 111 (NASB 2020)

1 Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart, In the company of the upright and in the assembly.

2 Great are the works of the LORD; They are studied by all who delight in them.

3 Splendid and majestic is His work, And His righteousness endures forever.

4 He has caused His wonders to be remembered; The LORD is gracious and compassionate.

5 He has given food to those who fear Him; He will remember His covenant forever.

6 He has made known to His people the power of His works, In giving them the inheritance of the nations.

7 The works of His hands are truth and justice; All His precepts are trustworthy.

8 They are upheld forever and ever; They are performed in truth and uprightness.

9 He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; Holy and awesome is His name.

10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; All those who follow His commandments have a good understanding; His praise endures forever.

A truly awe-inspiring Psalm, almost as inspiring as Creation itself. God’s handiwork is to be praised, not just the earth itself, but His statutes and covenant with His people. His righteousness endures forever, and He feeds those who fear Him. When we study what He has done, we can only be amazed and thankful.

And yet, creation is running off its rails, with the earth consuming itself and humankind destroying itself. Wildfires are burning our forests just as human anger and greed are burning up our cities. Where is God in all of this?

Apparently, there are those who say that the earth was created for our use, we are rulers over it, and this seems to have Biblical support. But are we to use it up, expecting God to renew what we have wasted, or are we somehow furthering the Second Coming by destroying our world?

We receive a steady flow of reports on global warming, yet still do not do much to stop the destruction. The media treats the IPCC (International Panel on Climate Change) report as a “bombshell” yet it is something we already know all too well. Global warming is caused by the burning of fossil fuels. Climate change is not only happening, it is advancing far quicker than even the experts believed. Denying it based on political leanings is not going to make it go away. It is not “just the weather.”

Genesis 2 states:

7 Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living person. 8 The LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed...Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and tend it.

As a gardener, my interpretation of “cultivate and tend” is to do the work necessary to produce fruit, but not to the point where the ground can no longer produce. The ground must be nurtured just as the plants. We don’t use up all of the earth’s resources and expect God to replace them. If we are doing something that at first seemed good, but is proven to be harmful, then we should find other ways that do not have such a negative impact. We do look forward to a new creation, but we are to advance the Kingdom of God, not advance the destruction of the first creation. We are to continue to cultivate and tend it, making it fruitful, using it wisely to glorify God. We don’t use it all up, making deserts where good soil used to be, waiting for a “deus ex machina” or human settlements on other planets to save us. God tasked Adam and his descendents to care for this world. We have failed miserably.

I once mentioned climate change on Facebook, and was told that doing so was “anti-God.” This remains one of the most sublimely asinine things I have ever heard, from a sometimes smart person but is totally ensnared by a false ideology. I believe God does maintain the earth as its creator and the one who sustains it, but it is ignorant to ignore the harm we have done. As gardeners tending God’s creation, we should care for it and leave something for those who will follow us.

In Ephesians 5:15-20 Paul writes:

15 So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, in which there is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your hearts to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to our God and Father; 21 and subject yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ.

This comes after Paul exhorts his church not to be misled by false teachings and the wicked ways of an impure generation. The context of this writing may be very different, but it is yet again proof that the hearts of people haven’t changed much. We are still easily swayed and do what may seem beneficial in the short-term but destructive over time. We are too easily captivated by fiery rhetoric and the lure of wealth, power, and a sense of importance by latching onto false prophets and their cult of personality.

See that no one deceives you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them. Eph. 5: 6-7

We are to stay focused on God and live wisely, not giving in to our baser desires. Not only do we subject ourselves to God, but to one another, seeking what is best for all people, not just Americans, not just for our tribe or those who think like us. Not just for those here, but those to come. Our world depends on it.

Great are the works of the LORD; They are studied by all who delight in them.

3 Splendid and majestic is His work, And His righteousness endures forever.

4 He has caused His wonders to be remembered;

If we join the Psalmist in proclaiming this to be true, then we should honor the works of the Lord and see that they are properly taken care of, especially our planet, which holds many of the works we praise God for.

Kristen and I went to church this morning at St. Micheal’s Lutheran, NE Portland, next door to the now defunct Concordia University, where we both attended, back when it was Concordia College. It’s always sad coming back, now more than ever. I am now sitting outside at the Courtyard Restaurant at McMenamin’s Kennedy School nearby, which was an empty, abandoned elementary school when I was a student at Concordia, now a beautifully restored facility with hotel rooms, bars, a restaurant, and a theater, as well as the usual amazing art and landscaping.

This weekend was the inaugural get-together of the Concordia Alumni Society. The Sunday service was nice, and Kristen sang in the choir. The sermon was about appreciating the past, and anticipating the future. My mind was in the past, not seeing a future. But in the pew in front of me was a beautiful tow-headed little girl with her grandparents. I would say “sitting in the pew” but I don’t think she ever sat down, except when she started nodding off during the sermon, clinging to grandma. Otherwise, she was a scrawny, squirming five-year-old(ish) with big pretty eyes peeping out above her mask. with long eyelashes that many young women spend good money to emulate. She was the best part of the service. Parents often apologize for their little one’s behavior, but they bring such joy and peace for those who get to observe them in church. They are usually more entertaining than the service.

Nothing gives me hope like little kids. Watching them ignites my dreams for a better world. I see the potential in them, but then I fear what they will soon have to deal with as they grow up; physically and emotionally. I also think about what our legacy for them will be, now that I am old enough to see more endings than beginnings for me. I may not have much hope for our world, but I have hope for what our kids will do with it.