The Creation Waits
Earth Day - Romans 8:18-25
18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; 23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
We usually read this passage thinking about the promise of redemption for human beings. But on this Earth Day, we should not miss the creation wide implications of this passage. Vs. 19 – the creation waits; vs. 20 – the creation was subjected; vs. 21 – the creation will be set free; vs. 22 – the whole creation groans; vs. 23 – we (human beings) groan with creation. The suffering we experience, is a suffering the creation experiences with us. The struggles of this world are struggles that we and the creation share in together. We (human beings) are not a category separate from creation, in fact, we and the creation are profoundly intertwined.
The redemption we look forward to, the salvation promised in Jesus Christ, that is something that the creation also hopes for, just as we do. Our redemption and creation’s redemption are intertwined. Our redemption does not take us out of the creation, our redemption takes place while we are part of, in the midst of, the creation. We look forward to our salvation as part of the creation, we look forward to the day when we and the creation, together, will be renewed and redeemed. Just as we will be changed, so will the creation along with us.
What do we do with this truth? Just as we are invited to lean into the patterns of the reign of God in our relationships with other human beings, looking forward to the way things will be in the coming kingdom; so too we are invited to lean into living in right relationship with the creation. Living with the creation in ways that recognize that it and we look forward with anticipation to the redemption that we will both realize when the reign of God is fully revealed.
PRAYER:
Lord God, we, and all creation, look forward to the day when your redemption will be seen in all the world. Together with the creation we groan, waiting for that day to come. Renew the creation and us, we pray. In Jesus’ name. Amen.