Sunday, September 28, 2025 – Jeremiah 4:23-26, Isaiah 32:9-18, Romans 8:18-30
I’ll never forget the time I was swimming in the waters of Hawaii. I’d been visiting a friend in Maui, and popped over to the Big Island where I spent two nights outside Volcanoes National Park. It was glorious. I spent the last few hours before my flight at the water, and a woman I didn’t know let me borrow her snorkeling gear.
I went out into the deep blue and felt like I’d been dropped into an aquarium. Some of you may have had the same experience. I swam a bit further out, and as I moved my body through the beautiful sea, I looked down and saw a sea turtle directly beneath me.
I was so moved that I started talking to it in my mind, telling it how beautiful and majestic it was. I just kept beaming it love as I floated above it. Suddenly it came to the surface for air literally right in front of me, so close I could touch it. I felt blessed by its presence and as if I’d had a mystical and sacred encounter with something holy. I felt our deep connection as living beings.
Today, as we continue through the Season of Creation, we gather under the theme “Peace with Creation.” This is more than a slogan—it is a spiritual calling, a summons to open our eyes and hearts to the world God has made and entrusted to our care. We come together not only to worship, but to reflect deeply on our relationship with the earth, with all its creatures, and with one another.
Scriptural Reflections: Warning and Hope
Our readings this morning, from Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Romans, offer both sobering warnings and hopeful promises. Jeremiah paints a scene of chaos and desolation: “I looked on the earth, and it was complete chaos, and to the heavens, and they had no light. The fruitful land was a desert, and all its cities were laid in ruins.” What a powerful image—creation itself groaning under the weight of human carelessness and brokenness.
Isaiah’s words echo this warning, calling out those who have grown complacent. “Rise up, you women who are at ease, hear my voice; you complacent daughters, listen to my speech.” He describes a time when fruitful fields turn to wasteland, cities lose their joy, and the land mourns. Yet, Isaiah doesn’t stop there. He offers a glimpse of hope: “Until a spirit from on high is poured out on us, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field… Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness abide in the fruitful field.” Peace and restoration are promised when we return to right relationship with the land and with God.
Paul, in Romans, speaks of creation itself “groaning” with longing for redemption. He reminds us that suffering gives way to glory, that all creation is waiting for the children of God to awaken and fulfill our calling. The hope is not just for humanity, but for all that God has made.
Personal Observations: Our Impact on Creation
Think for a moment about the world around us. How often have we seen someone toss trash out of their car window, as if the earth were just a dumping ground? We witness factories polluting the water and air, soils depleted until they can no longer nourish us, animals confined and treated as machines, and even cruel experiments on dogs and other animals that offer no true benefit. Sometimes it goes further—the Navy’s powerful sonar disrupts the lives of whales and dolphins, driving them to beach themselves out of desperation. Bees and pollinators are disappearing, threatening the very systems that sustain our crops and flowers.
We act as if we are not connected to the earth, as if our actions have no consequences. Yet, we are part of an interconnected web—what we do to creation, we do to ourselves. Our readings today remind us: when we are not at peace with the earth, when we fail to love and care for it, devastation follows. But when we nurture creation, peace and abundance are possible.
Theological Insights: Interconnectedness and Sacredness
God’s love for creation is woven through all scripture. We are not just observers—we are participants, caretakers, and gardeners in God’s world. All life is sacred. When Paul writes that the earth is groaning, he’s inviting us to hear that cry, to recognize that our spiritual health is tied to the health of the world around us. Creation is not a commodity; it’s a gift, a reflection of God’s presence.
God loves the world so much that God sent Jesus to show us what abundant, free life looks like—a life lived in love, respect, and harmony with all that God has made. When we close our eyes to creation’s suffering, we also miss the presence of God in every corner of life, in every creature we meet.
Call to Action: Awakening and Stewardship
So what can we do? We are called to awaken spiritually. To see creation as our life-support system and treat it accordingly. To recognize the interconnectedness of all life, the sacredness of the earth, and the divine spark in every being. Care for the earth is not just a task—it’s a spiritual practice, a way to honor God’s love for the world. When we awaken, the spirit from on high will be poured out on us.
We have the power to choose to care for creation, to reduce our polluting impact, to speak out against harm, and to nurture life wherever we find it. We can learn how to walk gently on the earth and share that knowledge with others. When we do, we move closer to the peace God intends—for ourselves, for creation, for all beings.
Conclusion: A Vision of Hope
I believe there is hope. God’s promise of redemption is for all creation. The earth is waiting for us to wake up and take our place as stewards and lovers of the world. When we live in peace with creation, God’s light of resurrection shines through every being, just like it did that day I was blessed by the sea turtle in Hawaii. One day, God will raise us to the new heaven and new earth, where swords will be turned into plowshares, and the lion will lie down with the lamb. May we embrace this calling, seek peace with creation, and be agents of God’s love and hope in the world.
