Some Thoughts on Praying and Acting for our Common Home in this Season of Creation

In the resources for this week is a quote from Abundant Africa. “We face multiple crises of poverty, inequality, biodiversity loss and the climate crisis. We have a short window – a kairos moment – in which to turn from well worn, broken paths and choose a better story for ourselves and for the world. But what story will we tell?”

How do we understand and talk about what is happening to our world? How does that shape our response? In this fourth week of the Season of Creation we are invited to pray and act for our common home. We are invited to pray and act for God’s Oikos- a home for all, proclaiming that ALL life belongs to God. It is time to work with God protecting and healing God’s gift of our common home. As we contemplate the central image for this year, Abraham and Sarah’s tent, we are invited to consider this world as God’s tent where all are offered welcome, shelter, refuge, and safety.

Prayer and action are at the heart of our readings this week. In Esther we read the story of the kind of strong heroic woman we read about in Proverbs 31 last week. Every year in the celebration of Purim, Jews celebrate this young woman who risked all to save her people from annihilation. Her faith, and Mordecai’s encouragement, gave her the imagination and courage to act. We too need imagination and courage.

In this final reading from James’ letter – we hear again a clear call to action, underpinned by prayer. Active faith immersed in prayer is the path from sin to freedom and life. And James’s reminds us of all prayer is – from songs of praise for this good earth, prayers of lament for all that is happening and the imperilled state of our common home, to confession for the ways we have and still contribute to this state in our thoughts and actions, and finally intercessory prayers for those in leadership, research, and advocacy.

Finally, Mark invites us to join all those who seek to free people from all that oppresses and brings death. We might include all life on this planet in this. “Whoever is not against us is for us.” (Mark 9:40) In our prayer and action we are to join all who seek life for this world, including people of other faiths, and people of no faith. Are we are to bring our own perspective ground in scripture and the way of Jesus, that is in awe of God’s gift and lives in reverence for all who share our common home.