Greetings, SBT Readers!

Once again, a pope is being advised to "stick to religion" and to the Bible; and, once again, critics are decrying a pope for being "woke." Following in the footsteps of Pope Francis, Pope Leo XIV has made it clear that he supports ecological conversion. As expected, his endorsement of the Laudato Si' Movement and his participation in last week's "Raising Hope for Climate Justice International Conference," marking the tenth anniversary of the encyclical, brought mixed reviews; however, it was the pontiff's symbolic gesture of blessing a 20,000-year-old piece of glacial ice from Greenland that caused the greatest outcry. The insults appearing on news commentaries and social media are so hate-filled that they do not bear repeating. At the same time, however, I see this as a teachable moment, one that raises two main questions:

What is Religion? If religion is a system of socio-cultural practices and beliefs based on rituals, sacred texts, moral codes, and sacred places, then perhaps our religious leaders need to confine themselves to enforcing orthodoxy and orthopraxy, rewarding members "in good standing" while punishing those who are not. On the other hand, if religion involves a heart-response to the Divine Heart, then every aspect of life, including the planet on which we live, is to be honored and protected. Creation is a sacred gift, and we honor our Creator-- and the Incarnate Christ-- by reverencing the Earth.

What Does the Bible Say? The Word of God is neither a rule book nor a template for trashing one's enemies; if it were, we would still be stoning people caught in adultery (Lvt 20:10), along with those who work on the sabbath (Ex 35:1). We would also flog defendants who lose their lawsuits (Dt 25:1-3) and insist that women cover their heads in churches (1 Cor 11:6). For some critics, "sticking to the Bible" seems to mean a rigid adherence to beliefs and cultural practices from 2,000 to 3,000 years ago. A more nuanced approach is to view God's Word as a living form of Divine communication, comprising many genres and allowing for multiple approaches. Ironically, Laudato Si' is grounded in scripture. In crafting this encyclical, Pope Francis "stuck to the bible" by drawing on multiple biblical texts. I will close with a lengthy excerpt from Chapter Two, Laudato Si' to demonstrate the biblical basis of this document :

(66) "The creation accounts in the book of Genesis contain, in their own symbolic and narrative language, profound teachings about human existence and its historical reality. They suggest that human life is grounded in three fundamental and closely intertwined relationships: with God, with our neighbour and with the earth itself. According to the Bible, these three vital relationships have been broken, both outwardly and within us. This rupture is sin. The harmony between the Creator, humanity and creation as a whole was disrupted by our presuming to take the place of God and refusing to acknowledge our creaturely limitations. This in turn distorted our mandate to “have dominion” over the earth (cf. Gen 1:28), to “till it and keep it” (Gen 2:15). As a result, the originally harmonious relationship between human beings and nature became conflictual (cf. Gen 3:17-19). It is significant that the harmony which Saint Francis of Assisi experienced with all creatures was seen as a healing of that rupture." 

May Earth and Air, Fire and Water be Blessed,

Now and Always!

Elizabeth

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LINK TO SCRIPTURE READINGS

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."

He replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,

you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.

"Who among you would say to your servant

who has just come in from plowing or looking after the sheep, 'Come and take your place at table'?

Would he not rather say, 'Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am ready'?

Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you.

When you have done all you have been commanded,

say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'" Lk 17:5-10

What were the disciples seeking when they asked Jesus to increase their faith? They had just listened to his parable on The Rich Man and Lazarus, as well as The Parable of the Dishonest Steward, together with his teachings on greed, the Law, divorce, and forgiveness. Perhaps these lessons had turned their worldview upside down; perhaps they were seeking reassurance that Jesus' words were to be trusted; or perhaps they wanted to have faith but were now questioning everything...

"Increase our faith."

Personally, I have never used my faith to uproot trees and replant them in watery depths —and I don't think Jesus was encouraging his followers to experiment with controlling the material universe in that way, either. That seems more like magic than faith. Jesus' response may have begun with the whimsical analogy of uprooting the mulberry tree, but he then moved into a more down-to-earth response: if his followers wanted to be faith-filled, they needed to adopt the attitude of servants, fulfilling their responsibilities without expecting reward. At the same time, he wasn't advocating that they should be passive. As trusted servants, his disciples would have the necessary skills to accomplish what they were called to do. Just as household servants could plow fields, tend sheep, and wait on tables, so Jesus' disciples would be able to preach the Gospel, cast out demons, and heal the sick. In 2 Tm:7, St. Paul points to additional qualities required for discipleship: "For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather of power and love and self-control." Amazingly, God can accomplish extraordinary things through the least likely of people, transforming them through grace into courageous, Spirit-filled disciples.

"Increase our faith."

But there is another dimension to faith: Faith is the belief that all things are possible to God. It is the ability to hold on to God's vision of a new creation, a peaceable Kingdom, in which all God's children can live in harmony. No matter how dire the present moment seems to be, the power and glory still belong to God -- and God can -- and will-- heal the Earth and her creatures. As the prophet Habakkuk assures us, "For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; if it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late."

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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

• What does faith mean to you?
• What weakens your faith?
• What would help strengthen your faith right now?
• What is your vision for the future, and how can you keep it alive?