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May 24, 2009 Sermon

Living with Respect

Rev. Sally Harris

In the beginning was the gift. And the gift was with God and the gift was God. And the gift came and set its tent among us, first in the form of a fireball that burned unabated for 750,000 years, then these gifts found enough stability to give birth to the first atomic creatures, hydrogen and helium.

A billion years of stewing and stirring and the gifts of hydrogen and helium birthed galaxies – spinning, whirling, alive galaxies that created billions of stars, lights in the heavens and cosmic furnaces that made more gifts through violent explosions of vast supernovas burning abright with the glow of more than a billion stars.

Gifts upon gifts, gifts birthing gifts, gifts exploding, gifts imploding, gifts of light, gifts of darkness. Cosmic gifts and subatomic gifts. All drifting and swirling, being born and dying, in some vast concealed creative conception. Which was also a gift.

One of these supernova gifts exploded in a special manner sending a unique gift to the universe, Which later-coming creatures would call their home and name it earth. Its biosphere was also a gift, wrapping it with beauty and dignity and just the right protection from sun’s radiation and from the cosmic cold. And eternal night.

This gifted planet was set as a jewel in its most exquisite setting, in this case, the exact distance of 100 million miles from its mother star, the sun. New gifts arose, never seen in such forms in the universe- rocks, oceans, continents, multicellular creatures that moved by their own inner power. Life was born!

Gifts that had taken the form of fireball and helium, galaxies and stars, rock and water, now took the form of Life! Life- a new gift in the universe, a new gift of the universe a new gift for the universe!

Flowers of multiple color and scent, trees standing upright. Forests arose offering places for all manner of creeping, crawling things. This earth became home, upon, beneath and above its vast terrain: for things that fly and sing; for things that swim and slither; for things that run on four legs; and eventually, for things that stand and walk on two. With thumbs that move to make still more creativity – more gift-making – possible.

The human became a gift… and also a menace. For its powers of creativity were unique in their potential for healing or destruction. How would humans use these gifts? Which direction would they choose? The earth waited for an answer to these questions. And is still waiting. Trembling. Trembling, like the Israelites before the corporate giant named Goliath

A nation trembling, defeated and despondent - turning toward this visible giant of power, afraid. Turning toward it afraid Yet a young one named David, took what was in his hand, letting go of all the armour that was so cumbersome, and with passion and conviction, the power of God and of self strove to the center of the arena of nature and said “No”

I will help the trembling earth; defending you, supporting you with all I have… a pebble, a word, a conviction, a cloth bag, a vote, a prayer, a song, a whole new awareness of helpful action And faced with such heart, the giant of greed, of injustice; the giant of all that blocks the light, fell before the passion of a new power, a world power of ordinary people And so it was that the trembling earth was renewed, year after year until… A divine incarnation was birthed from the soil, one totally open to the heart of the universe. This one taught the humans, ways of compassion and justice. Calling these unique creatures to community; calling them to live with respect.

One day upon the Sea of Galilee, this peaceful divine incarnation named Jesus fell asleep to the quiet rhythmic gift of water’s lulling nature. This lulling nature of the sea was disturbed by the sudden stirring, swirling, rousing, roaring nature of the wind. The water was caught up in the stormy gusts, creating waves that rocked the boat, beat into the boat and began to swamp the boat. The followers of Jesus worked hard and with hope in order to survive the storm raging around them. But then they lost heart and allowed the storm outside to come inside.

In their desperation they waken the peaceful Jesus who wondered why they were so fearful of nature’s ways and then engaged in conversation with the wind and the water as if they were part of his very self. This divine incarnation lived with respect in creation, conversing, calming, creating compassion with and for, all the gifts of the universe. Yes this One named Jesus, called humans to embrace one another with respect, to embrace creation with respect and to learn from creation’s way: “Consider the lilies of the fields” “Look at the birds of the air”

And still the earth waits to see if humanity is gift or curse. Trembling. Have you ever given a gift and then regretted it afterward? Earth wonders and waits. For the gift has been made flesh and dwells everywhere among us… and we tend to know it not.

In fact we tend to treat it not as a gift but as an object. To be used, abused, trampled underfoot, disrespected, ignored, exploited – and left for dead!!! But to those who do receive it as a gift, to those who respect Mother Nature, to those who hear her voice and learn her ways to those who are filled with awe by the sight, sound and smell of her

All is promised. All shall be called co-creators of this gift, sons and daughters of grace, who make sacred and holy this precious gift. May we live with respect in creation, with ourselves, and with each other! Amen!

[adapted from a story by Matthew Fox, in Creation Spirituality, 1991, pp. 1-4]

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