Fourth Sunday of Easter
Acts 9:36-43
Psalm 23
Revelation 7:9-17
John 10:22-30
(The context of this sermon was 100% written in Canada by a human)
What do we think of when we hear the words Mother Nature? Perhaps you imagine the green pastures and still waters – those soothing images in the Lord Is My Shepherd. Maybe, you see in the brightness of the sun on a clear day, in the roar of a waterfall, in the steadfastness of a tree, in the bounty of a field, in the energy of the wind - the blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and might of God. Like me, you may find God speaks to you most clearly in the places where humanity’s touch is slightest – in the places where the ocean goes on forever, or the horizon never ends, and on the quiet forest trail.
Mother Nature – the idea of her – has inspired poets, and theologians and environmentalists. It’s a name that speaks of warmth and comfort, and giving life. A name that feels forever present. In art, Mother Nature is often depicted as a tranquil elderly woman or a younger, beautiful one. Her arms are often encircled around the earth or a representation of the natural world, holding it safe.
Of course, the connection to our own mothers and mothering influences in our lives is obvious: we see supportive and loving women as warm and wise and comforting, holding us safe. And we expect them to be ever present, no matter how we treat them.
But this soothing presence is an incomplete image of Mother Nature. She is also fierce – bringing us hurricanes and tornadoes. She is also resilient – resurrecting life from the ground we clear cut and contaminate with chemicals. She is hard-working, always changing with the seasons, never pausing. And she is innovative and clever – always finding new ways to evolve, alternate paths for the plants and animals of the earth, even as we, the smartest animals upon it, carelessly destroy their homes and habitats.
Surely these words also describe the women we lovingly remember and honour today, who raised us, and advised us, and spoke up for us, when we could not do it for ourselves. The mother I had, the mothering influences I have today, the mother of my own children were and are all fierce, resilient, hard-working, and innovative – each in their own unique way. I am blessed to have their presence in my life.
And Mother Nature and the women who are our mothering influences share other commonalities: a history of judgement, abuse and neglect. We have assumed that we can mistreat Mother Nature – ravage her forests, wipe out her animals, poison her ocean – and she will always remain, as she is. So society has with mothers, for most of history, expecting these women to give us life and care for us, from making them virtual slaves, voiceless to change the society they are raising, denying them, for so long, the right to own land, to vote, to even escape dangerous situations.
We have also neglected Mother Nature – perhaps not actively destroying her bounty, but also not repairing the harm we have caused, and not supporting her in a way that we should, to help her thrive.
So we have acted as though climate change is not a problem, or will somehow solve itself, and we have not done enough to mitigate the effect of climate change, to save the species that are disappearing. In the same way – although in Canada we have certainly made important strides - we have not often given women who are mothering influences the support they need - child-care, care-giving respite, equal pay, health care that recognizes their complete journey as women, the kind of investment that recognizes their true value.
Instead, societies have restricted a mother’s freedom and her free will, even when it comes to her own body, and in many parts of the world, this terrible injustice continues, and or is creeping back. We have cast blame upon them for every social ill: at different stages of the last century, mothers have been blamed for crime, for autism, for poor test results, for entire generations that are too dependent, for entire generations that are too entitled.
As with Mother nature, we have failed, as a society, to see the larger picture, to recognize all the forces that weigh heavy, and our own part in the consequences. Mother Nature and mothers exist to give us life; only the most foolish of animals would treat them in this way.
What is the lesson we take from this? First, I would remind us of our confirmation classes that taught us clearly that God created humanity to have dominion with the created world—not to destroy it. And that the fourth commandment clearly states that we are to honour our father and mother. Second, I believe it is as the Gospel of Jesus Christ reminds us, that we are all interconnected, not only to each other but also with nature. How we treat each other relates to how we treat Mother Nature. If we, as a society, value people over products, equality and moderation over status and greed, we would automatically improve conditions for Mother Nature. And if we treasured our forests and our air and our water above wealth, cracked down on those who profit by destroying them, and cooperated across borders to remedy our harm – those choices, I believe, would lead to a world that is kinder and more other-centred, a better place for mothers, and for all of us.
This weekend we have seen our own community take a stand to create this kind of world, with Pilgrimage for the Planet organized by the Eastern Synod of the ELCIC. Some of the pilgrims who cycled from Montreal to Ottawa are here with us this morning. And tomorrow on Parliament Hill we will all have an opportunity put our faith into action with a peaceful demonstration.
The gospel is, unfortunately, a story dominated by men. Women such as Dorcas, who is lifted up in our first lesson as a good and efficient philanthropist, appear far less often than they should. And yet, at the same time, the gospel itself espouses the very qualities that lead us to hold mothering women in such high esteem: compassion, hope, and love.
Perhaps, you are sitting here saying, yes it’s Mother Day, but what about the good men and the good dads? In fact, I say, what about them, what about me? Our role, in this just push for progress, is important: to be faithful allies to the women in our lives. Not only for their sake, but for our own. A society that treats mothers better will also improve the world for daughters and sons and fathers. A society that treats Mother Nature better improves the world for the life upon it, including us. Indeed, a society that protects and preserves the life-giving and loving presence in the world, will surely save itself. Amen