The Earth Cries Out: Fifth Sunday of Lent
By Whitney Brown
Today, we enter the fifth Sunday of Lent with a reflection on care for God’s Creation. The theme of our Lenten devotional series is “The Earth Cries Out: Reflections, Lamentations, and Prayers for the Injustices to Our Earth and Our Communities.”
Each week contains a short reflection, discussion questions, and a prayer. We hope that you can utilize these devotions with your congregation, friends, and family.
Isaiah 43:16-21:
This is what the Lord says—he who made a way through the sea,a path through the mighty waters, 17 who drew out the chariots and horses,the army and reinforcements together,and they lay there, never to rise again,extinguished, snuffed out like a wick: 18 “Forget the former things;do not dwell on the past. 19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?I am making a way in the wildernessand streams in the wasteland. 20 The wild animals honor me,the jackals and the owls,because I provide water in the wildernessand streams in the wasteland,to give drink to my people, my chosen, 21 the people I formed for myselfthat they may proclaim my praise.
Meditation:
Our journey through Lent is nearing the end. Where have you experienced the Creator this Lenten season?
So often, we enter the Lenten season ready to give something up – maybe it is chocolate or social media or something more elusive like stress. What if instead we saw Lent as an opportunity to take something new on as a way of growing more fully in our faith. Today’s reading, Isaiah 43:16-21, is a beautiful invitation to do exactly that. God is doing a new thing and invites us to leave the past in the past. Easier said than done, right?
A few years ago, I decided to start taking on a new thing for the season of Lent instead of giving something up. I found that it was more powerful, more meaningful to take the journey of adding something fresh to my routine like spending a few minutes each morning in prayer or spending an hour a day outside, soaking up the beauty of Creation. It became a place to take an intentional pause, to be observant, to see beyond myself. In fact, this time to revel in Creation led me to growing an exceptionally large balcony garden at my apartment one year, and I have continued to watch my various plants flourish over the last few years. By releasing myself of all the reasons holding me back from gardening in the past, from memories of childhood playing in the dirt I longed for, I was able to try something new.
Imagine for a moment spending just 15 minutes in your garden with your hands in the dirt, digging and planting, providing nutrients to the ground and to the air that all who inhabit the planet breath – the literal fruits (and veggies) of your labor. That is the exact invitation I hear in this passage; an opportunity to enjoy the earth and thank the Creator for this beautiful planet we have the pleasure of living on each day. What better way is there to “proclaim God’s praise”?
Our resources are finite, and if we continue producing pollutants at our current rate, we will see just how finite our planet is as a whole. We have an opportunity to make changes to our day to day behaviors now, to ensure the ground and trees and sky waterways and animals and all who revel in this glorious Creation are able to thrive.
When we think about caring for the planet, Creation Care, it is easy to get bogged down by the negative, the many ways we have done wrong to our planet for years and years. But, we cannot let our past actions stop us from taking a new action today to make the planet healthier. We have the power to help our planet thrive for many years to come. Let’s do something new, as people of faith, and make sustaining all Creation a priority. Creation is crying out for help, and we must heed that call.
Reflection Questions:
What things in your past are holding you back from something incredible occurring in the present?
Imagine new ways you might engage in Creation Care for the remainder of the year. Looking at this list, what are the barriers to accomplishing these actions? What do you have to let go of to engage in caring for the earth?
Prayer:
Lord, grant us the wisdom to care for the earth and till it.
Help us to act now for the good of future generations and all your creatures.
Help us to become instruments of a new creation,
Founded on the covenant of your love.
—The Cry of the Earth
About the Author:
Whitney Brown is GIPL's Communications Director, a role in which she handles all of GIPL's marketing and annual fundraising needs. She has worked in the non-profit sector for 14 years. Whitney has a passion for working with youth and young adults, and enjoys finding the intersections of faith in our everyday activities. When not at work, she can be found hiking around Georgia, and she has a passion for the arts. Whitney holds a Master of Divinity degree from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology and a BA in Music History and Psychology from Agnes Scott College.