Merry Christmas 2009

"Behold, I Bring You Tidings of Great Joy!"

. . . and the world was forever changed. Was there, in fact, a Jubilee Year, as Isaiah prophesied? Alas, no. But for two millennia there have been Jubilee People. Those who have fed the hungry, and those who have clothed the naked. People who have cared for the dying, and people have forgiven debts against one another.

Within the tradition of Christianity, there are great scientists and philosophers, whose contributions to learning have enlightened our appreciation and wonder at the power of the Creator God. And in the core creation stories of the Hebrew Testament, we receive a clear commission to stewardship of the earth and its creatures.

Increasingly, I appreciate the fragility of the highly productive system of feeding people on which we depend. Limited reserves of accessible phosphorus, intensive fossil fuel requirement, slow but inexorable accumulation of undesirable components in the soil matrix, challenging choices about water and its management, storage and transportation requirements that have centralized vulnerability to attack by foreign agents- be they microbes or humans. It is a time of overwhelming challenge.

But on any given day, I may be able to contribute in a small way to righting a single wrong- or perhaps a consequence of a protracted societal wrong. I may be able to help one of God's creatures, with which we, as humans, have interacted to make fully dependent on us. And I may be able to extend the joy of a loving canine companion to others. Someone who is lonely may have the companionship of a beautiful English Springer Spaniel. Someone who needs a little more reason to go outdoors and walk, may have an excited Springer Spaniel prancing at the rack of leashes. Someone who believes that no one understands may have two big brown eyes gazing up at them.

And perhaps today, someone will have just a little more joy when they see a fast Springer Spaniel chase a ball across the yard and come flying back with it.

Merry Christmas!