ASSISTING IN CREATION

The theologian Martin Buber says that the work which we do each day is our participation in the creation of the universe. This is a fascinating thought. We tend to think of the creation as having been accomplished, and over with. But creation is ongoing, just as life is ongoing. We think of our planet as terra firma. It feels very solid beneath our feet. But we have had recent examples of severe earth quakes in Haiti and Chile, as well as tsunamis. Actually the earth itself is in a state of constant turmoil. This was brought home to me some time ago, by a National Geographic program on TV about the earth. The movements of the earth's plates, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions are the earth's ways of renewing itself. The theory of it all is fascinating and understandable. However, the thought of living on an earth that is in such constant upheaval is terrifying. And if it is not bad enough that the earth itself is constantly in upheaval, lightning is always striking the earth at some point. Looking at the earth from outer space, one would think that it would not be possible for life to survive on a planet which is being constantly bombarded by lightning and is experiencing volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, hurricanes, cyclones, floods, blizzards, freezing temperatures, etc.

One of my ancestors in the 1600's wrote an interesting will. He was preparing to cross the ocean and he said, " Considering the perils of the sea, blows from heaven, and the certainty of death, I make my last will and testament." People in those times were more aware of the perils. Now we tend to think that modern technology will always save us. But life is perilous. And technology cannot always save us.

It is interesting to note that besides the earth constantly renewing itself, our bodies are also constantly renewing themselves. Our bones seem especially firm, however, bone is constantly being destroyed and re-created by the body. This is true for all the cells of the body. We are constantly restoring our bodies. The earth is constantly restoring itself. And we are struggling to survive in the midst of all this. We have to take note of what foods and nutrients help our bodies to restore themselves and what chemicals and non-foods are hazardous to us. We also have to be careful where we live, although it is difficult to find a safe place to live on this earth.

What work will we do to assist in the creation of the universe?