Mid-week Message

Greetings!

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” - Colossians 1:15-17

What does our Christian faith tell us about the climate crisis? Norman Wirzba offers helpful insights about the connection between Jesus and caring for creation. He wrote:

“It is a mistake to think of creation apart from Christ…. The incarnate Word is present everywhere, ordering, directing, and giving life to all things, yet being contained by no single thing. Christ is the Word through whom all things come to be and through whom all things will be renewed and redeemed, for Christ shows there is no inconsistency between the creation of things and their salvation….

“Put more generally, Jesus reveals the eternal Word to be the power of love at work within each thing and between all things, a power that leads and nurtures creation into fullness and life.” [From Nature to Creation: A Christian Vision for Understanding and Loving Our World, Baker Academic (2015), pg. 83, 86]

Jesus is in and through everything in the entire creation. This insight begs the question: how do we treat Jesus in creation? Do we crucify Christ through our way of life on this earth, or do we feed, clothe, and heal him when he is in distress? May we learn to see Christ in all of creation, from the soil to the whales, the microbes to the mountains. “All things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

Grace and peace,

Rev. Sarina