God’s creation reveals His abundant hospitality, yet we often overlook our role in caring for it. While saving the world isn’t our job, loving what God loves is. How can you show your appreciation for the world around you today?
Watching a cow being milked, my cousin – around four years old at the time – asked, “Are they putting it in or taking it out?” I’d like to think I have a better grasp on this and other farming processes, but the truth is much of it is wrapped in deep mystery for me. What I do know is that when I’m hungry, I’m reliant on others, and ultimately God, to feed me.
In British Columbia (BC), Canada, five species of Pacific salmon travel over 600 miles from the ocean to the inland streams where they hatched, a moving buffet feeding everything from insects, other fish and birds to otters, orcas and humans. We now know they even feed trees – you can see from the rings in a trunk which years there was a good salmon run!
A Rocha’s team in BC monitors salmon migration, runs a Coho salmon hatchery and carries out a full programme of environmental education and community engagement. Sadly, stocks are struggling because of habitat degradation, drought and overfishing. With so much life depending on this one significant yet struggling species, it is hard not to find the whole situation bleak and even frightening. But Cindy Verbeek, who spearheads the salmon project for A Rocha says, “It is not my job to save the world – that’s already been done.” Instead, she sees her job as to “walk alongside the Creator of the world, to do my part in the redemption of this world and love what he loves. And in BC that means caring for salmon.”
We all benefit from God’s abundant hospitality but so often we don’t offer that same hospitality to our neighbours, human and other. God’s call on us is to love what he loves, as Cindy puts it. What is your salmon-equivalent? Perhaps the first step is finding out a bit more about creation in your own back garden or local park and starting from there.
Jo Swinney, A Rocha International
Reflect
"All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time." Psalm 104:27 (NIV)
Pray
Pray that God would give you inspiration for creative ways to be generous with the resources you have.
Act
Acts for you to consider today:
| Instead of saying a rushed or generic grace at your next meal, take time to express detailed and meaningful gratitude to God for each thing on your plate. Ask him to help you appreciate all he has done to provide for you in his creation. | ||
| Generosity isn’t only for the birds! Create a bug hotel or put up a bird table. Find out what creatures come by, what they eat and what eats them. | ||
| Cook a meal to share made only from ingredients you know have been grown, harvested and processed with care. Tell your guests about what they are eating. |
Watch
To go deeper into today's topic, you can watch this discussion about hospitality from our 40acts partner 'The Way UK':
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About A Rocha International
A Rocha is an international Christian organisation which, inspired by God's love, engages in scientific research, environmental and theological education and community-based conservation projects. With 40 years of experience, A Rocha is now active in more than 20 countries, forming a truly global network of engaged professionals who share a united vision for community-based conservation work. Their programmes involve thousands of people from different cultures in a wide variety of initiatives, from urban to rural and from the very poorest African communities to the most privileged American suburbs.
