Living Smarter

February 18, 2024

First Sunday in Lent

Mark 1:12-15

As I sit here and begin writing today, the Weather Service has issued a Gale Warning for Lake Huron. They are advising all ships and boats to be warned that the waves are going to be about 16 feet tall today. That’s as tall as a single-story house! Yikes! Cue Gordon Lightfoot to start his song!!

Not surprisingly, there is not a single craft (of any size) on the lakes today. It’s not that they are afraid; they are being smart. There’s a big difference. Perhaps if someone were caught unaware on the lakes in these kind of conditions, then that might be a time to be afraid. But, even then, experienced sailors would tell you, they had not been smart and had not been prepared.

Today’s readings give us some insight into being prepared and smart about difficult times. In the first reading, God tells Noah that they need never be afraid of another massive flood that covered the earth. God tells Noah that if he gets afraid of another disaster to look for a rainbow which is a “sign of the covenant I have made between me and you and all living beings.” Knowing this, allows me to not be afraid and have faith that God will look out for us.

That being said, we know that we are faced with the threat of another ecological disaster. Climate change is causing real things to happen in the sea, air, and land. Things that, as much as I may want to deny, are happening right in front of us. It is true that some of this may be natural and cyclical, but science is showing us that a lot of this is, in fact, caused by humans. And since I am one of those (humans), I need to acknowledge my role in causing the crisis, as well as being a part of the solution. I am not afraid of climate change, but I can be smarter.

Part of what I intend to do for Lent this year (and beyond), is to find new ways to reduce my imprint on this world. When I took the garbage to the curb last night, I looked and saw several items that were being tossed in the trash that really didn’t need to be there in the first place. I can be more intentional about buying and using things that can be reused without having to be thrown away.

The covenant God made was not just with Noah and his family. It was not just between God and humans. It was “between [God] and [people] and all living beings.” The birds in the air, the fishes in the sea, and everything that lives on the and. My responsibility extends to them as well.

Even Jesus acknowledged the wild animals. Today’s Gospel tell us that, as Jesus prayed in the wilderness for 40 days, he spent his time “among” the wild beasts—not fighting them, hunting them, riding them, working them, or even caring for them, but simply being among them in peace. In our backyard we see birds (of course) and squirrels (of course), but also fox and rabbits and deer and coyote. And that doesn’t even include all the dogs and cats of our neighbors. I enjoy being among them. And if I fill my pockets with trash as I take my daily walks, then not only I am protecting the environment, but I am protecting these wild animals as well.

Sharing the Good News of Jesus is more than talking about the love of God, as important as that surely is. Not being afraid to engage people about our shared responsibility to God’s beautiful creation is a very big part of sharing the Gospel of The Lord as well. We can all be a little smarter about how we do the things we do. I just need to spend time in prayer and be mindful about how God has blessed me and this world.

As St. Francis of Assisi said:

     “Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance.

     Where there is patience and humility, there is neither anger nor vexation.

     Where there is poverty and joy, there is neither greed nor avarice.

     Where there is peace and meditation, there is neither anxiety nor doubt.”

Every Day