Laudato Si 76-79: Creation – God’s Handiwork

On this beautiful Monday morning in which the Universe seems to be alive with joy around the Ascension of our Lord, and the coming of the Holy Spirit, a beautiful contribution from a Regis College friend of mine, one of the infamous 'Theo-buds' ( some people at Regis still refer to us as such  apparently!), a women with a big heart and a creative mind, Lauren van Vliet. She picks up where Robin and I left off in Chapter 2 of this great document.  Where as we were following  the role of scripture in how we understand ethics and creation,  Lauren now takes us through a new section that will look at God’s own Word for the foundation of ethics and creation. More specifically, we’re looking at God's  handiwork: the universe.  I will be joining her in reflecting on this later this week

- Brother Dan and Lauren

  

About Lauren:

Born and raised in Prince Edward Island, Lauren has made it her mission to explore this country from coast to coast to coast. She has a Master of Divinity from Regis College (Toronto). She is now working as the Youth Ministry Coordinator at a dynamic, young Catholic parish in Regina, SK. Living in diverse areas of Canada, from the salty shores of PEI, to the bustling downtown core of Toronto, to the wide open prairies, has given Lauren an appreciation for the beauty of nature however it manifests itself. When she’s not travelling, you can probably find Lauren writing, reading, or coming up with more shenanigans for her the kids and youth to whom she ministers.

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What does creation tell us about God?

Pope Francis begins the section by reminding us that creation is more than just a system that we can study and control, it is a gift from the Father (76) that was intentionally created (77). There was thought and order put into the act of creating; it did not materialize out of chaos, or merely by chance – it was an act of God’s love moving all things into being (77). This means, as we are reminded, “Even the fleeting life of the least of beings is the object of the Father’s tenderness…” (77).

Let’s just stop and appreciate the magnitude of what the Holy Father is saying here. God loves EVERYTHING He has created. Everything from the most annoying insects, to the poisonous plants, to the multitude of people. And, based on the above, all of these acts of creation were intentional on God’s part. We can’t say: ‘Mosquitoes must have been a mistake’, or any other plant, animal, or person. They were all created through love and an intentional decision.

This isn’t the first time we are reminded of God’s love for His creation. Jesus reminds his disciples, and us, that if God clothed the fields with lilies (which Jesus points out don’t have a long lifespan), then God will also take care of us (Matthew 6:25-34). To put this in context, Jesus is explaining why the disciples don’t need to worry about their material and physical well-being, namely that God will provide for them. Providing for the needs of creation is one way God shows His love for creation. We, as a materialistic culture that arguably controls the bulk of the world’s wealth, must be careful not to misconstrue this teaching to suggest that we are loved more, or that God provides for us differently. Because we are all created in love, we are part of a universal communion (LS 76), and God provides for all the members of that communion.

But, God does more than provide for creation, he has tasked humanity with caring for nature by providing them with the gifts and skills necessary to study and understand it. Pope Francis reminds us that we “…have the duty to cultivate [our] abilities, in order to protect [creation] and develop its potential” (77).  In remaining true with the mission of LS, Francis does not just discuss the potential in creation, but its limits and fragility as well. (78) Knowing those limits are in fact part of our efforts to  learn more about nature,  and this will enable us to care for it, as we learn to relate to both its limits and its potential. However, the one thing that will have to change is that we must finally acknowledge that unlimited material progress is impossible, precisely because both humanity and nature are limited (78). Rather than seeing this as a bad thing, Pope Francis sees this is as a way to challenge us to creatively find ways to reach our potential and use our abilities, while limiting the power we exercise as individuals (78).

Limiting our individual power may seem contrary to ideals of our society: wealth, popularity, influence, possessing material goods. But THESE are precisely the things which must be limited. Achieving these things, will not bring us the fulfillment. This  can only come from God. When we are in communion with God, we can see the beauty of creation, and begin to see the webs of relationships that make it up. More importantly, as we more deeply appreciate the beauty and our place in it, and live within the limits, we can enter more deeply into the beauty and relationships by appreciating how both improve our lives.

But so often our materialism sees nature and people as resources to be used; things that can help us now, and then tossed away and forgotten. Treating creation in this way is a refusal to acknowledge the love and intention that went into every act of creation. To put is simply, this is rude. This is like throwing a beautiful gift in the garbage in front of the person who gave it to you, which damages the relationship between you. In much the same way, using and abusing creation damages our relationship with God. It slowly erodes our ability to see His presence in creation and how He working in our lives. Instead, we need to value creation, even the parts that we find annoying or challenging, not only because God created it, but because creation is beautiful, and it can teach us about both God and ourselves. All of this richness is a mystery waiting to be probed further.