Care of Creation

"God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day."

Recently, a group of us have come together to recommend wording changes to our Baptismal covenant.  These changes would emphasize care for God's Creation.  This is to begin what is usually a very long process leading to experimental use and eventually Prayer Book wording change.  I am on board with the process, but I wonder about the effectiveness of a simple wording change at the time of Baptism.  We still baptize infants so the covenant is agreed to by God Parents ( who often loose touch with their God Children over the years.)  Also a simple promise made in the context of a service I believe to be a rather weak method of making a change.

As I write this there are people in California who are suffering from some of the worst fires in recorded history for the area.  California, additionally is suffering under extreme drought conditions.  This is affecting farmers and agricultural workers and probably has untold affect on all kinda of people.  This isn't the California I knew as I was growing up, full of fields of produce, orchards and vineyards.

Right next to California is Arizona, where my son and his family (with my only granddaughter) live.  They have been experiencing some of the hottest weather ever.  I cannot imagine daytime temperatures of 113 degrees!  When I visit them I cannot drink the tap water.  It is OK for showering and other things, but not so good for drinking.

I read that the polar ice is melting rapidly and may cause the rise of oceans.  I hear news accounts of islands of garbage floating in the Pacific and other places.  I also read and hear that many of our legislators are playing ostrich (putting their head in a hole and waiting for reality to pass them by.)

Somehow, I do not believe that a statement made in a Baptism is going to make a great change.  I do think that the Baptism covenant discussion can be a beginning of our awareness.  This awareness can lead to change.  In Genesis it says that God looked at Creation and thought it was good, so good we were entrusted with it's care.  So far we haven't been good stewards!