Laments for Creation
As part of their session on Creation and the Environment during the fall learning circle, students in the Social Ministry Year wrote laments. Lament is a form of psalm dealing with loss, grief, anger and concern.
Glorious God who has lovingly shaped this world,
Interconnected systems intricately woven to sustain life.But humans have arrogantly placed themselves as outside,
looking down at the web of life.
God how could you have allowed us to destroy
our fellow created beings….including ourselves?
Humans have raped and pillaged with no respect for the planet
and no thought for future generations.
And even now when the truth screams at us
we are deaf and apathetic in our response.God are you just going to leave us to our own devices?
You are the one who gave us the intelligence to create
and we have used it to
dominate, domesticate and destroy.
What were you thinking…..?You should have known when you gave us
the gift of stewardship
that we would fuck it up.
Help us to wake up and take action
before it is too late.For those of us who ignore creation’s cries
SMACK all on the side of the head…
preferably with a tree branch.
For a time give dominion of humans
to the trees, animals, oceans
and other members of creation
that we have abused,
for them to do with us as they see fit.But we know deep in our hearts that the rest of creation
has learned to live in harmony
and would not
entertain the thought of vengeance.We thank you Creator that we do have
the ability to learn and grow.
We praise you for your goodness and mercy.
May we honour our responsibilities
as caregivers.
We have faith that future generations
will be able to delight in the beauty
of the woven tapestry of your creation.
May it be so.– Written by: Kristin and Kelley
God, where are you?
When strangers come and destroy your lands.
Large machinery clear-cut your forests, carbon levels are rising, the earth is defenseless.
Stop the entitles, one and all.
For your beauty is being destroyed
Creation is at stake.
Arm the forest to fight back; may consumers be consumed
The righteous will remain to glorify your name
Written by: Tif and Don
O you who cares for all!
O you who claims to care for all and whose presence we proclaim
Bring us peace
Our confusion in the fast-paced world overwhelms
This fast-paced world of yours depletes us of energy, understanding, hope, creativity, joy and relationship
Where do we find our peace?
In this world you require us to act in justice
To live freely
And to live in joy.
Are you crazy?
The busy-ness/business created by needs of the world surpass our ability
You must intervene or our world – your world – will implode.
Needs pop up like mushrooms from decaying soil
Some poisonous
Some delicious
How do you expect us to choose?
Our time on this earth is short, why?
With so many choices we need more time.
You who cares for all we find ourselves among the decaying leaves of fall expecting new life, new energy, new joy, new creativity and deeper relationships.
Having a voice to lament we trust in you
And turn to you with an open heart and mind.
Written by: Jackie and Janet
O God, you who created and sustains all who are in your care. Hear our cry.
Our water is polluted, our space is full of noise
We cannot hear the trees talk
They groan under the weight of our arrogance and ignorance
Your creation suffers while we carry on as if nothing is wrong.
O God, do not let us destroy what you have created and call good.
O God, because you care for all creation, you alone have made all things beautiful.
Your masterpiece has been defaced
Strike down those who have done these unspeakable things
Wake us up
Could you not take these people and shake them and wake them up?take their comfort, their cars, their toys
Take their money, their profits and power
Let them see their investments fall before them.
Give them nightmares of a future world destroyed by their greed.
We will stand in the margins and applaud you our God
When we see you restore your creation.
Written by: Lynn and Morgan
O Creative One, you are the one who declared everything in our world good.
We have disregarded, disrespected and degraded our part of your beautiful creation.
We have behaved as if we are the only beings that matter.
We thought we had the authority to do whatever we wanted, as pilgrims on this earth, merely on our way to heaven.
Because of our self-importance, our forests, animals and fish suffer all around us.
In our greed for money, we have stripped the animals of their coats in order to wear our wealth.
In our quest to prove ourselves right, we turned our forests into instruments of war.
In our callous indifference to the rights of indigenous peoples, we have robbed them of their traditional ways of supporting themselves, by handing over the lakes to commercial fishermen.
In our need for faster and faster colonization, we drove the buffalo to extinction so the iron horse had room to run.
O Creative One, we need your help to turn this around, to reverse the destruction that has been playing out for 400 years.
Turn your ears to the petitions of our children and listen to their innocent voices.
This is not their fault but this is their world.
Bring down the mighty to their knees, and punish them for their evil and destructive ways.
We know that you will remember your creation and restore it to its former beauty.
We commit ourselves to be good stewards of your creation.
Written by: Jamie and Diane
Creator of this wonder-filled planet,
who allows us freedom to till our gardens,
we leave on computers, we don’t shut off lights and projectors,
we strip-mine, we clear-cut forests,
we pay lip-services with good intentions paving our way to hell.
Shake us up! Make us see the errors of our ways!
Help us be mindful of the tasks at hand!
God, you helped Noah and Pete Seeger build their boats.
They both suffered ridicule and disdain,
but you urged them on to a vision of hope.
Let those who resist change
disappear into their own little virtual world!
Let their computers cease to function!
O God, we give thanks for your gift of hope in the face of hopelessness.
We know you always walk with us, somehow.
Written by: Hubert and Jim
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