(Psalm 104) 4 October 2020
Neil Millar
‘Apprehend God in all things, for God is in all things,’ writes 13th c. Christian mystic, Meister Eckhart. ‘Every single creature is full of God, and is a book about God. Every creature is a word of God. If I spent enough time with the tiniest creature – even a caterpillar – I would never have to prepare a sermon, so full of God is every creature’.
So far in the season of creation, we’ve celebrated different realms of Creation – land and sky; forests, deserts and rivers. And today, inspired by St Francis, it’s about the creatures, the myriad of beings, weird, wily and wonderful, that inhabit these realms – birds and insects, fish, reptiles and mammals – all creatures great and small, including those who share a special place in our homes – our pets.
So, how to do this? I’d love to have us sharing in pairs this morning, talking about the animals that we interact with day by day, but given COVID restrictions, that’s tricky. Instead, some reflections I hope will deepen our appreciation of the creatures with whom we share this wonderful blue-green planet, and on whom we rely for our continued existence.
First, a word about Francis, whose feast we celebrate today. St Francis of Assisi lived about 800 years ago in central Italy. In many ways, his world was different to ours, and yet some of his insights are so pertinent for our time. Francis was responsive to what we might call today the ecology of life. He appreciated, as indigenous communities do, that everything in creation is connected – part of an intricate web; and that we human beings have a responsibility under God to live well with each part. Francis recognised that we owe our life to the elements of creation, and what they provide. ‘Praised be you my Lord with all your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun, who is the day through whom you give us light’, he says in his famous canticle. ‘Praised be you my Lord through Sister Water, so useful, humble, precious and pure… Praised be you my Lord through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, producing varied fruits with coloured flowers and herbs…’ By addressing these elements as brother and sister, he brought them into the intimacy of relationship; and gave them respect. If we picture Francis, it’s likely with a bird on his shoulder and animals at his feet. He clearly had a special affection for creatures; he preached to the birds, pacified a wolf, and put together an animal cast for what is understood to be the first live nativity scene.
In the time of Francis, though there was cruelty and exploitation, the harm which humankind could inflict on creation was limited. Today, we know that our way of being in the world is causing great damage, and is unsustainable, and in this context, Francis calls to us – remember your creator; remember your kin – your responsibility to love and care for creatures great and small. This call is urgent because in our time, many of these creatures are suffering and in decline.
In recent decades, numerous species have gone extinct (including in Australia). This is a problem, and not just for those creatures. Biodiversity, is fundamentally important because all species, including us, rely on ecosystems being diverse and healthy. If we lose a species, it isn’t just a shame – one less exhibit at the zoo; it throws the whole system out of whack. Today, this is happening in ever more damaging ways. It’s unsustainable, we need to change our way of being in the world, which is why it’s concerning to hear of such resistance in some of the worst offending countries. This week, sadly, our government refused to sign a global pledge to reverse nature loss by 2030. The Leaders’ Pledge for Nature was launched on Monday ahead of a major UN summit on biodiversity. It warns that we are in a state of ‘planetary emergency’ due to the intertwined crises of biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation and climate change. ‘Nature fundamentally underpins human health, wellbeing and prosperity,’ it states. The pledge has been endorsed by 71 countries, but not us. Meanwhile, creatures great and small continue to suffer and die and our global home becomes ever more vulnerable and unstable.
We’ve seen plenty of evidence of this in the past year. Take the extreme fires, for example. They alone have exacted an enormous toll. According to ecologist Chris Dickman, more than a billion animals died in our fires – and that didn’t include fish, frogs, bats and insects. I imagine the numbers are as bad in the west coast of USA, in Russia where huge swathes of tundra have been burning for months, and Brazil, where the world’s largest wetland currently is experiencing catastrophic fires. I want to acknowledge this continuing suffering and loss, and encourage us, in any way we can, to be promoting biodiversity – even just planting a new shrub in your garden or starting a compost heap or worm farm. Who we vote for in the next election will make a difference. Directly or indirectly, every decision has an effect, positive or negative on well-being of the natural world. For Creation’s sake, for the sake of our grandchildren and their children, for our sake, let’s do what we can to promote the flourishing of all creatures and plants, great and small.
And, finally, a word about our pets. God bless ‘em, aren’t they fantastic! What a difference they make in our lives. ‘We all need attention and affection’, it says on the Beyond-Blue website, ‘and that’s just what pets give us’. It goes on: ‘It’s hard to put into words the happiness that a pet can bring. You might be the one caring for your pet but they support and care for you in unspoken ways. Whether it’s a dog wagging their tail and greeting you at the door, a cat or bunny snuggled in your lap, or a bird singing to you, pets provide companionship and unconditional affection.’ It goes on to list a few ways pets can positively impact our wellbeing:
- They don’t judge…
- They keep us company…
- They encourage us to be more active…
- Caring for them can remind us to take better care of ourselves…
I’m sure you know this, and lots more, and I hope we’ll share some of our pet wisdom and stories after church – funny stories, sad stories, stories of past pets or present, it doesn’t matter, they all enrich our lives. In the hymn, O God, your creatures fill the earth, verse three goes like this:
You made the pets we welcome in — they’re wondrous blessings, too.
With paws and whiskers, wings and fins, they offer praise to you.
O Lord, you call us to embrace these creatures in our care.
May we show kindness, love and grace to all pets everywhere.
To all pets… to all creatures… We share this world with them; they give us so much; they deserve our respect and care.
Two stories to finish with- from the Guardian News this week. The first concerns a rat – an oft despised creature if ever there was. This rat, Magawa, detects unexploded landmines, and was recently awarded a medal for ‘lifesaving bravery and devotion to duty’. According to the article: Magawa, a giant African pouched rat, has discovered 39 landmines and 28 items of unexploded ordinance since he was trained by charity APOPO. He is the charity’s most successful Hero Rat, having cleared more than 141,000 square metres of land – the equivalent of 20 football pitches. Magawa has been formally recognised for his work and been presented with a miniature PDSA Gold Medal, the animal equivalent of the George Cross. The story goes on to explain how he works, and the difference this has made to the safety of a struggling Cambodian community. Thanks be to God for rats – they have an important place in the ecosystem.
The second story concerns, five cheeky parrots stirring up an English zoo with their foul-mouthed comments. According to the article: The parrots – Billy, Eric, Tyson, Jade and Elsie – joined Lincolnshire Wildlife Centre’s colony of 200 grey parrots in August. However, soon after, the birds started egging each other on to swear at patrons. ‘We’re quite used to parrots swearing but we’ve never had five at the same time’, said Steve Nichols, CEO of the park. ‘We haven’t had a complaint,’ mind you. ‘When a parrot tells you to f*** off it amuses people very highly. In fact, he says, ‘it’s brought a big smile to a really hard year.’ Apparently, this park is also home to a parrot named Chico, who made headlines in September after learning to sing a range of pop songs, including Beyonce’s If I Were A Boy.
Well, what do you say after that?? I wouldn’t mind putting those parrots in a room with some of our political leaders at the moment but that’s disingenuous. Perhaps, it’s time to sing and celebrate the presence of our animal kin, and then we’ll have some prayers and a blessing for our pets….
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