May 27
“But ask the beasts and they will teach you; the birds of the air, and they will tell you . . .” Job 12:7
My parents were both avid readers. Mom loved history and any novel that incorporated it would catch her attention. Dad too spent time reading about history - books about the war he served, current affairs - but he had a deeper interest in the earth and the heavens. I was in my teens when I picked up off the coffee table the book he was currently reading and then I couldn't put it down: ‘Silent Spring’ by Rachel Carson.
Having a fierce love of animals and nature, I was constantly saving a spider from its demise in the house by carrying it outside in a jar (Much to the ridicule of my siblings! Our son to this day still does the same!), organizing food and blanket drives for sheltered animals, and as I listened to the chorus of their music, maintaining food and water for the birds outside (something our whole family still does today). I was stunned to read that something regularly used to kill insects could be in fact killing my beautiful bird friends, often affecting the shells of their newly laid eggs to the point they would not survive the pressure of their mother’s warm body protecting them. I was heartbroken. I began telling all my friends about the situation, talking about it in school during science class and on and on. One step at a time, we educated one another about this precious world and all in it, that God has given us, and our responsibility to protect it. Because of the work of people like Rachel Carson, who was instrumental in the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency, we learned about observing the beasts, birds, insects and all life, to measure the quality and future of the health of our planet.
Right in front of our eyes God speaks. Nearly shouting at us, the world around us sends us constant messengers with messages for us to think about and open our eyes to see that all we do, all we are has an impact on somebody or something. Our hope is that the outcome will be for the benefit of all.
God of all Creation, open our eyes to see the beauty of nature all around us and to fiercely protect this wondrous world you have given us.
Rachel Carson: May 27, 1907 – April 14, 1964
Copyright© 2014 Kathleen A. Matson
“But ask the beasts and they will teach you; the birds of the air, and they will tell you . . .” Job 12:7
My parents were both avid readers. Mom loved history and any novel that incorporated it would catch her attention. Dad too spent time reading about history - books about the war he served, current affairs - but he had a deeper interest in the earth and the heavens. I was in my teens when I picked up off the coffee table the book he was currently reading and then I couldn't put it down: ‘Silent Spring’ by Rachel Carson.
Having a fierce love of animals and nature, I was constantly saving a spider from its demise in the house by carrying it outside in a jar (Much to the ridicule of my siblings! Our son to this day still does the same!), organizing food and blanket drives for sheltered animals, and as I listened to the chorus of their music, maintaining food and water for the birds outside (something our whole family still does today). I was stunned to read that something regularly used to kill insects could be in fact killing my beautiful bird friends, often affecting the shells of their newly laid eggs to the point they would not survive the pressure of their mother’s warm body protecting them. I was heartbroken. I began telling all my friends about the situation, talking about it in school during science class and on and on. One step at a time, we educated one another about this precious world and all in it, that God has given us, and our responsibility to protect it. Because of the work of people like Rachel Carson, who was instrumental in the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency, we learned about observing the beasts, birds, insects and all life, to measure the quality and future of the health of our planet.
Right in front of our eyes God speaks. Nearly shouting at us, the world around us sends us constant messengers with messages for us to think about and open our eyes to see that all we do, all we are has an impact on somebody or something. Our hope is that the outcome will be for the benefit of all.
God of all Creation, open our eyes to see the beauty of nature all around us and to fiercely protect this wondrous world you have given us.
Rachel Carson: May 27, 1907 – April 14, 1964
Copyright© 2014 Kathleen A. Matson