Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Earth Day

We planted flowers today. The boys discovered snap dragons and quickly named them as their "favorite flower of all time." We named ways to help protect our earth and care for it. We talked about all the different landscapes, oceans, forests, jungles. We stuck our hands into the soil and felt appreciation for the nature around us. It was a beautiful day to appreciate and give thanks for the natural world that has been entrusted to our care.

Yet my mind wandered. This song ran through my head intermingled with thoughts beyond the realm of nature.



Thoughts of natural dirt casings filled with human souls. Immortality contained in weak, starving forms. Who live so closely with nature that their dust covered bodies make it difficult to discern where dirt ends and body begins. Thoughts of America with her isles and isles of organic groceries and her smorgasbord of church selections and humanity...all around her...their bodies wanting only a day's meal; their souls desiring the simple truth of the Gospel.

As I surveyed our work of the day and the beauty of the bright flowers contrasted with the dark soil, my mind drifted back to the young Ethiopian mother who sat by the gates of the monastery. God's beautiful creation.

This earth day, as we enjoyed the fair weather and ample amounts of room to plant and tend our little garden, the prevailing thought was...

When do we celebrate humanity day? For humanity, too, needs our care.

Happy Earth Day.

"If I Stand" by Rich Mullins

There's more that rises in the morning than the sun
And more that shines in the night than just the moon
There's more than just this fire here that keeps me warm
In a shelter that is larger than this room

And there's a loyalty that's deeper than mere sentiments
And a music higher than the songs that I can sing
Stuff of Earth competes for the allegiance
I owe only to the Giver of all good things

So if I stand let me stand on the promise that you will pull me through
And if I can't, let me fall on the grace that first brought me to you
So if I sing let me sing for the joy that has born in me these songs
And if I weep let it be as a man who is longing for his home

And there's more that dances on the prairies than the wind
And more that pulses in the ocean than the tide
There's a love that's fiercer than the love between friends
More gentle than a mother's when her baby's at her side

And there's a loyalty that's deeper than mere sentiments
And a music higher than the songs that I can sing
The stuff of Earth competes for the allegiance
I owe only to the Giver of all good things

9 comments:

alpidarkomama said...

Lovely thoughts, Jodi. Humanity does indeed need our care.

Eyes_Wide_Open said...

Well, we celebrate humanity day every day that we live. May it always be so. May we keep our hearts always open and strive to find more that we can do to care for the lost, the hurting, our neighbors, and even our closest friends.

Remember that the eyes of Jesus stare back at you when you see that woman's picture. For whatever you did for her, you've done to Him. I've been thinking of this story a lot lately and trying to remember Jesus' words as I relate to others.

I love that song. It's one that I have returned to often over the years.

I enjoyed your post Jodi.

We had a happy Earth Day too. Which again...it's Earth Day every day for us. But a great reminder to give thanks for all that God has created for our enjoyment and entrusted to us for our care.

David Jensen said...

I love this song, and snap dragons too. I like to squeeze the sides of the flower to make them talk and given them little voices. It is amazing the garden gossip you can pick up from these guys... :)

JPB said...

In an of itself, I'm suspicious of Earth Day -- not "knee jerk evangelical, anti-environmentalist suspicious" but "I wonder what Wendell Berry thinks of Earth Day" suspicious.

However ... I love what you did with the day! Wish we could have been there to do it with you! OK ... I'm starting to wonder why I don't live in Oregon.

Eyes_Wide_Open said...

Why DON'T you live in Oregon? I can think of lots of reasons why you should.

I think that Berry would throw Earth Day in with what he calls "greenwashing" (making things seem better than they truly are).

Sticking a label on a day and having a bunch of people who don't usually care or live like they care about the earth make a big hoo haa.

I wish I could call him up and ask him.

Jon, have you read "Manifesto:The Mad Farmer Liberation Front?" I love that one.

Eyes_Wide_Open said...

Now, all that said, WE celebrated Earth Day with some fun Corvallis activities.

;)

Sheri said...

wonderful post. I love your heart.

JPB said...

"Jon, have you read "Manifesto:The Mad Farmer Liberation Front?" I love that one."

Practice Resurrection.

Eyes_Wide_Open said...

Question answered. What a way to end a poem huh?

"Practice Resurrection."

I love this section too.

"So friends, every day do something
that won't compute. Love the Lord.
Love the world. Work for nothing.
Take all that you have and be poor.
Love someone who doesn't deserve it. "

Jodi, have your read it? Probably so.