Body of Christ-2

St. Paul had the basic insight that we’re all connected in some important way with each other in Christ. As time has gone on, we’ve come to see more clearly the interconnectedness of all creation. Studies of climate, epidemiology, pollution, and the advance of global warming have shown us that we have enormous power to affect the natural world around us for better or worse.

As our knowledge of the natural world expands, so does our understanding of what it means to be a member of the Body of Christ, with responsibility not just for the people around us, but for the world around us. We are part of the great fabric of creation and are given the role of caretakers, tasked to exercise wise stewardship of the world we find ourselves in, to take care of what God has given us.

Howard Thurman, in his book, “Meditations of the Heart,” speaks to our connection with the earth: “The magic of wind, sun and rain creates a climate that nourishes every living thing. It is law, and more than law; it is order, and more than order–there is a brooding tenderness out of which it all comes. In the contemplation of the earth, I know that I am surrounded by the love of God.”

Maybe you have an activity that gives you a sense of peace, of blessing, of being surrounded by the love of God, e.g., fishing, praying the rosary, knitting, gardening, a quiet walk in the woods or along the shore, meditation, sitting and enjoying the sunrise or sunset. So many ways for us to connect with the Spirit of God in the world around us. So many ways for us to experience the blessings that are ours in Christ.

“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together…For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell.” (Colossians 1:17,19)