Sitting in my community's dog park this morning, while my two dogs ran joyously through the lush green grass, I listened to the call of a bird singing to his mate, and I thought how wondrous it was that she, and only she, would understand and respond.
It had been arranged by the forces of nature that his unique call would attract a female matching him exactly in species. And I thought of all the other ways that Mother Nature does her work to achieve perfect ecological balance on Earth.
The trees around us provide oxygen for our breath. Seeds grow with the help of the sun and soil into food that sustains us. Seeds also grow into animals in the exact likeness of their particular species. All in perfect order. The wonderful, glorious, beautiful miracle of it all fills me with gratitude and an overwhelming feeling of love for the Earth that gave me life.
The same forces heal me and nurture me. They help me to grow and to fulfill my destiny and take my place in the natural order of things in the cycle of life. I am part of a living, pulsing Universe. I am a leaf in God’s forest. One flower in His garden. It is our responsibility to keep this cycle moving and to do everything in our power to preserve it and honor it.
Our Earth, the only planet we inhabit, is in danger. We are faced with dark forces that could eventually destroy it. Yet our collective selves seem powerless against them.
Protecting our earth is not being given the priority it deserves. We as members of the society of nations are not doing enough or fast enough to avoid the disastrous consequences that could await us in our future and the future of our children and grandchildren.
But we value our comfort and convenience more. We value our economic wealth above all things. We want the Earth to continue to yield its bounty to us, but we don’t want to pay the price.
Raise taxes? It’s MY money. Why give it to the government? Legislators feel that it is more important to protect those whose top priority is making more and more money by producing products that are harming the ecological balance of our Earth.
We are all guilty in our comfort and greed. What will it take to change our priorities? What are we willing to sacrifice to save our most valuable, irreplaceable possession? Our Earth.
This article originally appeared in Roadrunner Extra!, the resident newsletter of Beatitudes Campus.
