And God saw that it was good.

The reading from Genesis this Trinity Sunday (Genesis 1:1 - 2:4a) has a lyrical, lilting pace to it; a beautiful reassurance that when God created, there was order, there was light, there was life.

We don't view the passage as factual; it is an attempt by the writer to explain the presence of God in all of life, in all of creation.  We dare not see this as science, but as a loving attempt to explain (for our forbears) the inexplicable:  who are we in relationship to the world, to each other, and to God?

From this writing we learn of God's love for all - the light, the dark, the water, the sky, the stars, the earth, the animals in the water and on the earth, and in this narrative, humanity, created on the sixth day, male and female, in the image of God (imago deo).  

Yet there are some troublesome words in the text, words that have been understood for centuries as giving humanity a dominance over the created order that was not given to us in this reading from Genesis.

The words "dominion" (Genesis 1: 26) and "subdue" (Genesis 1:28) have been used to explain the systematic destruction of species to suit our human needs and desires.

Dominion should be understood more as a sharing of power with God; an understanding that we are to be caregivers and caretakers of what God has created.  Subdue can imply that what God created wasn't perfect, and needed humanity to bring order.  Nothing could be further from the original intent of this holy writing!

Science has taught us that we cannot live on this planet without cooperation with all creation; our faith should see that as an imperative also - God saw everything that God had made, and indeed, it was very good (Genesis 1:31).

The most depressing day of the year!

The news this morning announced that the Guardian, a London newspaper, has labeled this day the most depressing day of the year - the day when more divorces are filed, than any other, and the day when all of us face the (I guess) depressing realities of our lives.  Perhaps, some speculate, that this is the first day back to work and school and our daily routines after the Christmas holidays.  Perhaps it is the reality of the weather - winter is most decidedly here, for those of us in the northeast.  It's grey, and cold, and snowy and icy.  Perhaps its the fact that all those Christmas bills are now coming due and payable.  And of course, with the holidays over, the decorations put away, our homes no longer sparkle in the candlelight and the glow from the Christmas tree.  And perhaps we're facing the reality of what happens when we have an extra piece of pie, or one more drink.

But Holy Scripture says, this is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!  (Psalm 118:24)  All days belong to God; our lives are bound to the One who transcends days and time and whose birth among us we celebrated 12 days ago.  This is God's day, for you - to be the new creation in Christ that we are called to be by virtue of our baptisms.

May this day, and all the ones that follow, be ones of blessing and peace and joy.