Counting On … – Page 27

Counting on … Lent 10

18th March 2025

“If you besiege a town for a long time, making war against it in order to take it, you must not destroy its trees by wielding an axe against them. Although you may take food from them, you must not cut them down. Are trees in the field human beings that they should come under siege from you?” Deuteronomy 20:19

Whether it is Psalm 1 or in God’s planting of the garden of Eden, the Bible presents trees to us as the means of providing what is needful for life. It is a gift we often overlook – and as demonstrated in Deuteronomy, something we should not destroy.

The following quote comes from the NHS Forest website.

“Trees, hedges, shrubs, meadows—they are all excellent for biodiversity and creating healthy environments, but trees in particular offer unique benefits not found in other planting options. In fact, humans need trees for health, which means the benefits of tree planting reach far beyond nice-looking grounds.”

Do read the full article which lists the many ways in which we benefit from trees.

Why do humans need trees for health? Here are the benefits of tree planting

Counting on … Lent 9

17th March 2025

“Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night. They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper. Psalm 1:1-3

The psalmist holds up a tree as a metaphor for the person who delights in God’s law – in God’s way of doing things. Would we see it as a source of pride if we were likened to a tree?

The tree of the Psalm is is fruitful in season and doesn’t wither with age. We might also recall that trees can be known for their strength such as oaks, or the slender beauty such as a silver birch, or the longevity such as a yew, or their flexibility such as the willow.

So yes it sounds like a good metaphor and one that describes who we are rather than what we earn.

Counting on … Lent 8

14th March 2025

I brought you into a plentiful land to eat its fruits and its good things. But when you entered you defiled my land, and made my heritage an abomination. The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’ Those who handle the law did not know me; the rulers transgressed against me; the prophets prophesied by Baal, and went after false profits . Jeremiah 2:7-8

Carrying on the text from yesterday, the prophet Jeremiah is sticking to the message that he knows people do not want to hear. The land is being ruined because the people are not following the law of God. Rather they are following rulers who are law breakers, deviant prophets and false gods.

Are we in a similar situation where those who should be leading us are ignoring God’s ways – the ways of the natural world – and instead are we being guided by false prophets in the pursuit of false profits?

Counting on … Lent 7

13th March 2025

“I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and bounty, but you came and defiled My land and made My inheritance detestable.” Jeremiah 2:7

Degraded soils create vulnerable habitats for people and animals. Without good soils, plants do not thrive and hunger and starvation follow. Microplastics are now to be found everywhere across the globe. Where they infiltrate the soil, they are polluting the soil and damaging the growth of plants. For the convenience of our lifestyle we are damaging the very thing – the land – that provides us with the means of sustenance.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/10/microplastics-hinder-plant-photosynthesis-study-finds-threatening-millions-with-starvation

Counting on … Lent 6

12th March 2025

“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that Adam should be alone; I will make them a helper as their partner.’ So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what they would call them; and whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.” Genesis 2: 18,19

Soil degradation is a global problem, resulting largely from intensive farming practices whereby the soil is denuded of essential organic matter. Degraded soils do not support healthy plants – be that wild plants or crops. They does not absorb water leading both to floods and droughts. Humans have caused this degradation of the soil in part because they have not cared for those helpers that live in the soil – such as earthworms. The use of pesticides and herbicides as well as excessive tillage of the soil depleted worm and other soil tending populations.

We sons and daughters of Adam need a greater understanding of our fellow God-given helpers and a better commitment to care for them.

https://www.soilassociation.org/causes-campaigns/save-our-soil/meet-the-unsung-heroes-looking-after-our-soil/why-are-worms-important/

Worming our way towards healthier soils

Counting on … Lent 5

11th March 2025

“The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers; the heavens languish together with the earth. The earth lies polluted under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt; therefore the inhabitants of the earth dwindled, and few people are left.” Isaiah 24:4-6

‘Stepping back from the precipice: Transforming land management to stay within planetary boundaries’, is a UN report that examines land degradation. It underlines that ‘land is the foundation of the Earth’s stability. It regulates climate, preserves biodiversity, maintains freshwater systems and provides life-giving resources including food, water and raw materials.’ https://www.unccd.int/news-stories/press-releases/planetary-boundaries-confronting-global-crisis-land-degradation

The prophets understood that when the land is dried up and withered – when it is degraded – humans should look to their conscience and see where they have broken faith with God, where they have violated God’s laws. We need to better understand the way our actions affect the land, and pursue ways of using the land that are in tune with the laws of nature – ie the laws of God.

Counting on … Lent 4

10th March 2025

“… when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground; but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground— Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food” Genesis 2:5, 6, 9

What can we learn from the way the Earth produces and sustains life?

The story in Genesis understands that it is God who enables the soil to become life sustaining. Today scientists continue to explore and discover how the earth and plant life are interconnected in a symbiotic relationship that begins with the soil. Physiologically active compounds produced by soil organisms and plants work to promote plant development, immunity and growth via reciprocal signal emissions. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0929139317311290

Good – successful – outcomes depend upon cooperation and communication. This holds true for both soil organisms and humans.

Counting on … Lent 3

7th March 2025

“Then God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:11-12

Genesis tells us what science tells us: that the world has the inbuilt capacity to generate life. The world is life giving, life producing. We are part of that created being so we too have the capacity to be life giving. Celebrating and embracing and better appreciating this gift enhances our relationship with God the ultimate creator.

Counting on … Lent 2

6th March 2025

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.” John 1:1-3a

There is no existence – no life – that exists outside of the totality that is God. To deepen our relationship with God is to deepen our understanding of life – and therefore nature. This feels like a good starting point to appreciate the loving mercy of God and God’s everlasting commitment to life

Counting on … Lent 1

5th March 2025

“Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return. Turn away from sin and be faithful to Christ”

These are the words said when we are marked in ash with the sign of the cross on our foreheads. As we respond to the call to repent – to turn away from our sin – we are marked with something physical that is of creation. The ash is traditionally made from the previous year’s palm crosses – palm crosses we carried as we once again announced that Jesus would be king, would rule in our lives and in our world … which on reflection we have failed to honour.

But the words talk of dust and that reminds us of the Genesis story when God made the first being from the dust of the earth – the soil, the very ground of creation. Studying the natural world, we know that its wellbeing, its liveliness is maintained through cycles that allow materials – atoms and molecules – to enable all that is necessary for life to be reused endlessly. God’s mercy too is endless, constantly holding us in the bonds of love.