3 Sep Save the Land

SAVE THE LAND

The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. (Genesis 2:15)

The nations raged, but your wrath has come, and the time for judging the dead, for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints and all who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying those who destroy the earth. (Revelation 11:18)

It cannot be doubted that land has suffered a lot of injustice at the hands of people resulting in countless adverse effects on all creation, including human beings. Today’s reflection invites us to champion land justice.

Genesis 2:4-5 presents the narrative of the creation of the land of Eden and the placing of Adam in it. The passage gives us a glimpse of how beautiful God intended the land to be. It is pictured as having beautiful animals, rivers, plants, birds, minerals

and precious stones. God, as a just God, demonstrated justice when creating the Earth. He ensured justice for all creation by making all things to be in harmony. The narrative draws us to imagine how wonderful and awesome the land was. It further draws us to imagine the care and responsibility which God had when making our common home. He paid attention to all the detail which balance the survival of all creatures.

Adam was placed in the garden and given two responsibilities. To till the land and to take care of it. The two responsibilities are at the heart of “land justice”. If humanity is to do justice to the land, the two must be balanced. Tilling the land points to using the land in a productive way. Taking care of the land invites people to be responsible for it. It is an invitation to protect the land from destruction. While people must use the land to produce goods and services, it must be done in a caring manner, ensuring the continued beauty and harmony of all creation.

Revelation 11:18 warns of the time of the destruction of those who destroy the earth. This shows how much God cares for the beautiful land he created. We are, therefore, invited to reflect on the responsible use of land resources to ensure the continued harmonious living of all creatures. The land has suffered destruction by people. Justice demands that we all take responsibility and act justly towards the land. Otherwise, we risk being destroyed. Those who treat the land with justice will be rewarded. The time is now for us to join hands and redeem the land from destruction for the good of all.

prayer

God, the creator of all things, open our hearts to understand the beauty of the land you have given us. Give us the wisdom to make it even more beautiful and harmonious. Help us to save the land from destruction and our own destruction. We ask you to help us to love and care for the land just as you love and care for it. In Christ Jesus, Amen!

for further thought

Discuss ways you can contribute to saving the land from destruction.

Morgan Mambwe

United Church of Zambia