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Theme: Peace with Creation
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Β Β The book of Genesis, chapter one, highlights how God created the heavens, earth, and all they contain. It reminds us how God made such a creation. When we talk about creation, it includes us human beings to whom God has given dominion over other created beings (see Gen.1:28-30). The term “dominion” is actually acted on by human beings with its literal connotation and in a most negative way that affects the whole creation. Human beings are dominating creation badly, which eventually leads to its destruction. The earth, which we are supposed to consider as our home to be taking care of, is now in a state of “Climate Emergency” due to our mistreatment of it. We are gradually destroying her through water and air pollution, mining, illegal logging, and more. Many people, especially the powerless, suffered various kinds of exploitation, corruption, mistreatment, and more at the hands of the powerful. Looking and reflecting on these sad realities happening on our mother earth and to the powerless people, it came to my mind this question: How can we obtain “Peace with Creation” if we continue inflicting major damages that can destroy the earth and the whole creation as well, and just do minor prevention and restoration to avoid such destruction that might happen to the entire creation?
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Β Β Β Β Β Despite these evil realities happening in the entire creation, we can still obtain “Peace with Creation” if we learn to insist against exploitation, mistreatment, injustices, and more. Jesus insists that “the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one” (Lk 22:36, 38), and where he exclaims, “I have come not to bring peace, but a sword” (Mt. 10:34). The Gospel of John 2:13-22 where Jesus fashions a whip and violently drives people out of the Temple in Jerusalem, along with the sheep and cattle theyβre selling for ritual sacrifices. In terms of exploitation, mistreatment, and injustices Jesus insisted, hence as His followers we must learn to insist on any actions that can gradually destroy the entire creation; otherwise we may not be worthy to be called Christians and eventually destroy our common home and the whole creation as well. If you embody this kind of resistance, this kind of transformation, and if you love life and love justice this passionately, your light shall break forth like the dawn, and you shall remove the yoke among you (Is 58:8-9). Together, we can obtain preventive measures to safeguard creation and avoid its total destruction. This would be possible if we could change our corrupt perspective on how we deal with creation and transcend ourselves. In the mystical spirituality of Francis, the first level of transcendence involves experiencing nature in all its aspectsβanimals, plants, scenery, weather, stars, and peopleβas wonderful gifts from God and the second level of transcendence comes when we not only experience creatures as gifts of God but also experience God in the gifts. These two levels of transcendence will bring us to a good relationship with creation, far beyond from exploitation, mistreatment, and injustice.
Β Β Therefore, by insisting on the good safeguarding for creation, away from exploitation, mistreatment, injustice, and more, and transcending ourselves to experience creatures as gifts of God and God in the gifts, certainly we can obtain “Peace with Creation.”
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