Healing Earth

Healing Earth           

A meditation delivered electronically by Rev. Dr. Randy K. Hammer, April 19, 2020

Genesis 2:8-9; Revelation 22:1-2 GNT

Reading from Rachel Carson's, Sense of Wonder

As you probably already know, this coming week will mark a significant milestone in America: the 50^th anniversary of Earth Day.  An otherwise little-known senator from the state of Wisconsin by the name of Gaylord Nelson had an idea that it was possible to motivate people of America to begin to plan events all across the country to focus on the Earth.  Thus, April 22, 1970, was designated as a day to begin to take steps to clean up the Earth.

But it should also be noted that eight years earlier (in 1962), a marine biologist and conservationist by the name of Rachel Carson had gotten the attention of the world with the publication of her unsettling watershed book titled Silent Spring. Carson had sounded the alarm about the use of pesticides and other poisons that were killing bird populations, poisoning our water, and making their way through the soil into the food supply.

Carson, and others like her, realized that there is – or at least there should be – something healing about our connection to the Earth.  We are eternally and vitally connected to the Earth from which we come, from which we draw our daily sustenance, and to which we shall all someday return.  To be closely tied to Nature can provide a sense of healing, both physically and emotionally; for body and soul alike.  Hence, the title of today’s meditation: “Healing Earth.”  Such is a truth we are relearning during these days of social distancing and separation: we have been reminded that it does us good to get outdoors in the world of nature, as we consider the flowers, birds, trees, and fruits and vegetable gardens in our own backyards in a way we may have never done before. 

And such is what I have sought to do these past few weeks by blending some of my nature photographs with uplifting and encouraging quotations from some of the world’s great thinkers.  In short, there lies within the world of Nature resources that can promote better emotional and spiritual health and well-being.

Looking at today’s scripture readings, we read in the opening pages of the Bible of God’s great gift of beautiful, fruit-bearing trees and trees to give life. In the beginning, all within the garden of the world was good.  Then in the last chapter of the Bible, we read of John’s vision of a time when the earth will return to its once-perfect, Eden-like state, as he speaks of “the tree of life, which bears fruit twelve times a year . . . and its leaves are for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:2). 

Fruit is good for the body.  The fruit of trees and vines are known to have healthy benefits.  We all know the old adage that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”  And we read just last week that pears are one of the healthiest fruits to eat.  Perhaps that explains why I have been unable to find the pears we like the last few times I have gone grocery shopping!  And many of the medicines that the world depends upon come from plants; a host of them are found in the plants of the tropical rain forests.  In many different ways, Earth can be a source of healing and well-being for us.

But today’s meditation title, “Healing Earth,” is a double entendre; it can be interpreted two different ways.  For on the other hand, we should also be concerned with healing the Earth itself.  Because, as all of us should be aware by now, the Earth itself is becoming quite sick.  Polluted air through unrestrained burning of fossil fuels; polluted streams that are choked with thrown away plastics and rubber products; disappearing species of birds, butterflies, bees, fish, and animals through the use of poisons, the loss of natural habitat, and more; the melting ice caps due to global warming; the rapid decimation of the tropical rain forests that are also Earth’s natural sponges to soak up carbon dioxide; these are just a few of the symptoms that our Earth is ill and in need of healing.

Allow me to share a brief, true, personal story that brings the point home.  There is a fairly-new hiking trail in Oak Ridge that runs along the creek between the Shell station and the fire station on the west side of town.  A big “thank you” to all those who worked to help make this new trail possible, including some members of the United Church. 

A couple of Fridays ago, I decided to check out the trail in search of some spring wildflowers.  It is a nice, level walk along the stream, and I did find a few Virginia Bluebells, dragonflies, and butterflies.  But I was also made heartsick over what I saw in the stream and along the banks.  When the stream flooded a few weeks earlier, it picked up a tremendous amount of garbage which is now floating in still pools of water or stranded on the bank. A huge dump truck probably would not hold all the plastic and rubber trash on that short 1 ½ mile stretch!  And that is just one tiny piece of the Earth in need of a healing touch!

And so, during this 50^th anniversary Earth Day week, may we pause to express gratitude for the good Earth as it was first created to be, full of goodness and holding the potential of health and well-being for humans and all creatures in so many different ways.  But may we also make a plan and take a step to do whatever we can to help care for and heal the Earth itself.  A double-faceted image to ponder this Earth Day week – “healing Earth.”  Amen.