Earth Day

Love as the basis for caring for our resources…

Want to stir up some controversy? Start talking about the “environment.” For starters, we will hear emotional debates for and against the existence of “climate change” or “global warming,” but at least on that subject, the good news is that most citizens agree on the need for comprehensive environmental protection and recycling programs.

As for the term “Mother Earth,” many religious folks believe that those words point to paganism which would include a worship of the earth rather than God.

What do I think “Mother Earth” means? Having spent many years serving various causes side by side with Native Americans, I have been under the impression that referring to the planet as a kind of mother is just a poetic way to express gratitude to God our Creator for His provision of the nurturing and healing resources which come from the earth, something for which we should all have the utmost respect.

Hence, my creative works have always included compositions (and more recently videos) which promote a lifestyle of caring for the environment as well as being mindful of the impact of our decisions on future generations, such as the re-song, “What will we leave for the Seventh Generation?” Having been re-recorded for the recent release, “Redemption,” this song was originally the title track of an album in the 80s from which many a cut were performed at events such as the Chesapeake Bio-Region’s Earth Day 1990 event along with other artists such as Richie Havens who were also committed to environmental sanity.

Today, I do have a few thoughts about our relationship to the environment; but I will be bypassing the politics and potential religious debates, to just speak of Love & Hope.

Changed by the Spirit: Let’s start at the beginning. When we learn to walk by the leading of the Spirit of God, the theory is that we will gradually change from “self-based” to becoming more “love-motivated.” Ok, you might be asking why I would bring up the Spirit in this discussion; and what does that have to do with the environment? It is simple; when we live from a heart of love, we become observant and wise in all the ways we can help others or show respect for the resources which God has entrusted to us. For instance, would it be love to toss trash out of the window of our vehicle onto the highway? Would it be love to throw away items in the dump that could have been donated to a good cause, helping others in need?

Caring for our environment, common-sense recycling, repurposing of goods, planting more gardens and trees… well these are just a few of the wonderful ways to not only show love, but to say “Thank You” to God for what we have been given.

So today, on April 22nd, I won’t be planting a tree, but I do have some flowers and tomato plants to set into the ground; and on that note, I leave you with this thought and prayer, “Lord help us to…walk softly on the earth. Help us to teach our young folks well about their relationship with nature; and help us all Lord, to become resourceful in the ways we care for our beautiful planet earth and the people that dwell upon it. Amen.”

Have a great Earth Day!

Yours in Christ,

Ann M. Wolf

Words & music by Ann M. Wolf – c 2015 – BMI – All rights reserved.