February 22, 2023
By Paul Galbreath
“Remember you are earth and earth you shall become.” These words taken from the creation story in Genesis 3 accompany the action of being marked by the sign of the cross on Ash Wednesday. It is a way to remind us of our limits – these days of our lives that we share on this fragile planet. This day invites us to look at ourselves as part of the earth, taken from the ground, breathed into life by the gift of air, and returned to the earth. The season of Lent invites us on a journey to reconnect with the earth. It is a chance to no longer look at ourselves apart from the earth, but to see ourselves as deeply part of the earth, the source of our life, and the place to which we will return. It is a challenging word and also a word of hope since our future is bound up with the future of the earth. Caring for the earth is a way of caring for ourselves.
We are invited this Lenten season to reflect on our relationship with the earth and to choose ways to act that care for the earth. It is a journey that we share together as we travel towards the hope of sharing resurrection life for ourselves and for all of creation. You are asked to commit to new practices of earth care during the coming weeks – a way of building new habits that show that baptismal life includes a commitment to care for the earth as central to Christian discipleship. For example, you may choose to focus on conserving your use of water or decide to pick up trash in a park near you each week.
Consider that your earth care practice is also a form of embodied prayer – a way to work for the healing of the earth.
Rev. Dr. Paul Galbreath’s new book, Elemental: A Journey Through Lent with the Earth, offers an intriguing, scripture-based format to bridge the gap of how people relate their own individual environmental activities to Christian faith. | 
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