Earth Sunday & the 20th Anniversary of the Meditational Woods
Indianapolis First Friends Quaker Meeting
Guest Speaker Mary Blackburn
April 24, 2022
Good morning, Friends! Bob asked if I knew of anyone who could speak about Creation Care, and when my CTS professor was already booked, a little small voice within me said, “Mary, you know enough to share with the meeting” and so, I volunteered to share my testimony with you today.
My belief is that caring for God’s creation is not something that divides us but unites us with a consistent message throughout scripture that resonates within my being.
As a child, I found two sacred places: the interior of a quiet church and in the outdoors. My mother would name the wildflowers and gather cattails for household decorations. Betsy Lawson, a dear departed member of First Friends, was my Campfire Girl leader and she would take us for walks through Holliday Park and on camping adventures in Bradford Woods and state parks.
When the wind kisses my face, or when I watch the hummingbird moths gathering nectar from the beebalm in our wild and crazy pollinator patch, I am filled with joy. Being with the giant Sequoias of the Sierra Nevada fills me with awe inspired by their size, bark and ancient age. I ponder the thousands of years that they have survived, even back to the time of Jesus.
On family trips to our national parks, I would always seek out a place with a special feature, such as a babbling brook, an overlook or a place filled with the fragrance of the conifer forest and say, “Let’s stop here and have unprogrammed worship together.” Together, we would be still and listen for God’ voice in the creation. These are special family memories.
Can you recall a time of feeling God’s presence through God’s creation? I will pause for a moment, so you can remember.
When I was young, the bird song called “The Morning Chorus” could wake me up at dawn. During a summer’s evening, the backyard was full of lightning bugs which we would capture in glass jars, poke holes in the metal tops and watch the bugs underbellies flicker on and off in their search for a mate. Now the morning chorus is no longer a mighty call to arise and celebrate the day, and our children search in vain for a backyard full of lightning bugs.
Advice comes from the book of Job 12:7-13 in the Message
“But ask the animals what they think- let them teach you;
Let the birds tell you what’s going on.
Put your ear to the earth-learn the basics.
Listen- the fish in the ocean will tell you their stories.
Isn’t it clear that they all know and agree
That GOD is sovereign, that he holds all things in his hand-
Every living soul, yes,
Every breathing creature?
Isn’t this all just common sense,
As common as the sense of taste?
With the pandemic, we have learned that we are an interconnected world. Not only do we have a global supply chain for manufactured goods, we have a supply chain for interconnected species and we humans have been the main beneficiaries. Without care for the entire creation, the world that we know, and love may not continue to exist and many of God’s creatures will perish because of our choices and lack of mindfulness.
My intention is not to be gloomy but to remind us that this concern is a spiritual matter. Let me read Day 3, 5 and 6 from the first creation story in its beautiful poetic form to remind us of our ancient call.
God spoke:” Earth, green up! Grow all varieties of seed-bearing plants,
Every sort of fruit-bearing tree.”
And there it was.
Earth produced green seed-bearing plants, all varieties,
And fruit bearing trees of all sorts.
God saw it was good.
It was evening, it was morning- Day Three
God spoke: “Swarm Ocean, with fish and all sea life!
Birds, fly through the sky over Earth!”
God created the huge whales, all the swarm of life in the water,
And every kind and species of flying birds.
God saw that it was good.
God blessed them: “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Ocean!
Birds reproduce on Earth!”
It was evening, it was morning- Day Five.
God spoke: “Earth, generate life! Every sort and kind:
Cattle and reptiles and wild animals-all kinds.”
And there it was:
Wild animals of every kind,
Cattle of all kinds, every sort of reptile and bug.
God saw it was good.
God spoke: “Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature
So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea,
The birds in the air, the cattle,
And yes, Earth itself,
And every animal that moves on the face of the Earth.”
God created human beings;
He created them godlike,
Reflecting God’s nature.
He created them male and female.
God blessed them:
“Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge!
Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air.
For every living that moves on the face of Earth.”
Then God said, “I’ve given you every sort of seed-bearing plant on Earth
And every kind of fruit-bearing tree,
Given them to you for food.
To all animals and all birds,
Everything that moves and breathes,
I give whatever grows out of the ground for food.”
And there it was.
God looked over everything he had made;
It was so good, so very good!
It was evening, it was morning- Day Six.
Within this scripture is the query for us all: “How are we being responsible for everything that moves and breathes?”
One action First Friends took over 20 years ago was transforming an acre of grass and converted it to an urban woodland habitat. The meeting had been offered a fair market price by a retirement facility, which the Monthly Meeting declined. Our former pastor, Stan Banker, observed the weekly grass mower going back and forth and back forth from the office window, and after visiting New Harmony had an inspiration to create a quiet reflective retreat. Because I love trees and gardens, Stan asked me to clerk a committee to oversee the design and funding of the work. As you read the names on the memorial plaques, you see members who contributed to this big project. Friends donated trees, shrubs, structures and have given their time to maintaining the area. Several scouts have added their efforts to earn their Eagle Scout with projects enhancing the Woods. Brad Jackson comes regularly to monitor our bird populations and has identified over 60 species of birds that are nourished and protected in our woods. Insects seek out nectar and pollen from our native plantings. Neighbors are so grateful to stroll in our little refuge. Couples have celebrated weddings in our meditational circle. Friends have scattered ashes of their beloved ones in a place that is dear to them. This place of beauty is the result of a choice and then action by our community.
Friends, we have taken steps together and now it is time to take God’s instructions seriously: How are we keeping the garden in order, as God commanded the man to work the ground and keep it in order in Genesis 2:15?
We have reached the tipping point to mitigate catastrophic warming of our shared home, Planet Earth. As one FWCC Friend recently said, “There is no Ark”, this time. Our planet is warming quickly and will alter the delicate balance in which we and our fellow creatures thrive. How are we being responsible for the care of things that live and breathe?
We are grateful for all the wonderful comforts that fossil fuels have provided: warmth, transportation and industrial progress. We are in a new epoch, and we need to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. Wars are fought over fossil fuel resources. Let us be peacemaker and move to energy efficiency in our cars, our homes and our businesses. We can advocate for smart energy policies, support new job skill training to prepare those whose jobs will change and restore the health of those communities polluted by industry. It has been done in the past and we can do it again.
We can use the power of the sun with solar panels and wind turbines. We can tap the energy of the earth with geothermal heating and cooling and change to energy efficient heat pumps. We can mitigate flooding by appreciating and protecting wetlands and woodlands. Regenerative farming practices can improve soil health and keep our valuable topsoil in place and not wash away with every heavy rain. Regenerative farming also reduces the amount of fertilizer and insecticides required to increase crop yields. We can stop applying unneeded fertilizer and chemicals on our lawns that overload our streams and stormwater with nitrogen contributing to harmful algal bloom in our lakes, reservoirs and streams. Better yet, we can reduce the size of our lawns and plant native shrubs and grasses to create habitat for birds, butterflies and moths that control our mosquito population. We can stop hiring mosquito spray companies that are harming the innocent bystanders: our birds, butterflies and lightening bugs. There is hope for the future and your actions will make a difference.
Before we go out to bless our Woods, I ask each of you to consider these questions:
What can I do in 2022 to keep God’s Garden in order? As we consider the children in our meeting, what will you do to protect their futures?