Planting and appreciation

From Medieval Irish Lore comes a story of an encounter between a young man on a walk and an old man struggling to plant trees beside his house. "What are you doing?" the young man asked. When the old man replied, "Planting fruit trees," the young man responded, "But you'll see no fruit from these trees in your lifetime." "True," the old man answered, "but the fruit I've enjoyed came from trees planted by those who came before me. I'm planting trees for those who come after me." I'd like to age like that.

Nancy and I were attracted to our home by the beautiful trees that lined the street and surrounded the houses. The Emerald Ash Borer, age, and wind storms claim several of those trees annually; yet, most of our neighbors replace them with ornamental trees or nothing. The cooler air, abundant wildlife, and picturesque scenes we enjoy may not linger for those who follow us. That saddens me.

In "The Seven Pillars of Creation: The Bible, Science, and the Ecology of Wonder," Hebrew Bible Professor William P. Brown contrasts and connects biblical creation stories with the fruits of scientific discovery and exploration. A conclusion he draws in the closing pages provides an intriguing context for my first two paragraphs. After noting the negative impact of human patterns of consumption on our ecosystem and pointing to a few ways to become more environmentally friendly, Brown declares, "... [humanity] cannot live by science alone. Science can explain the crisis ...; it can even suggest ways to mitigate it. But science cannot bring about the repentance, indeed conversion, necessary to chart a new way of life. It does not provide a compelling warrant for acknowledging the intrinsic value of life or its sanctity." As my students used to say, "That'll preach."

We all received blessings from those who traveled before us. Yes, we received some bane as well and yes, we exerted effort to accept and build on what we received. Yet, we depended on those who traveled before us, and generations yet to come depend on us. Those who deem all that is a mere cosmological accident may have no compelling reason to take that seriously. Those who deem all that is a gift of God have a decidedly different perspective.

A mature, leafy tree produces as much oxygen in a season as ten people inhale in a year. Planting a tree expresses gratitude for what we have received and repentance for any negative impact we have had. Large-scale livestock operations degrade land, air, and water. A recent NPR article noted that our consumption of a quarter-pound hamburger presently requires 6.7 pounds of grain and forage, 52.8 gallons of water, 74.5 square feet of land, and 1,036 btus of fossil fuel energy. Going meatless one day each week expresses gratitude for our many food choices and conversion to new life. Investigating all of our patterns of consumption can lead to similar gratitude, repentance, and conversion. Scientists are doing their part. For the glory of God and for the good of the earth and the communities we form on it, it's time for people of faith to keep up.

Yes, I drive a pickup truck. Yet, a recent study suggested that a carnivore driving a Prius has a more negative environmental impact than a vegan driving a Hummer. While God's drawing me into conversion, I'm working on gratitude and repentance.

Grace and Peace,

LP