Last evening I attended a service at St Andrew Roman Catholic parish (staffed by Franciscan Priests.) It was an observance of "The Spirit of Assisi". Begun some twenty years ago, these gatherings are offerings intended to return us all to a vision of peace and care of the earth.
Last night's speaker was Dr. Mashal Saif. Associate Professor of Religion at Clemson, she is of the Muslim faith. She shared texts from the Koran and from the sayings of The Prophet that addressed the call to care for creation.
As a symbolic part of the service, water was poured from individual containers into a central bowl. The water had been brought from a variety of places - places where those in attendance lived or spent considerable amount of time.
Caring for the earth, ensuring there is clean water, dedicating ourselves to peace - these are essential themes of each of our religious traditions. But all too often they are forgotten or given a lower emphasis. God's first command to humans was to tend the earth and care for it.
Offer a prayer for the creation. Thank God for the beauty of the earth. Observe your actions this day and ask whether they reflect a care of the earth or an assumption that it is always going to be there.
The stars in the sky aligned when Jesus was born; the sun grew dark on the day he died. The Messiah is Lord not only of us humans but of all of the cosmos.
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