People's Prayers: Prayers of the People: Our Common Humanity, 3rd Sunday in the Season of Creation '17

For Sunday, October 29, 2017, 3^rd Sunday in the Season of Creation, Readings: On Care for our Common Home*, Psalm 133, Abbess Hildegard of Bingen**, Matthew 22:34-40

We have forgotten that we ourselves are dust of the earth; our very bodies are made up of her elements, we breathe her air and we receive life and refreshment from her waters...We are part of nature, included in it and thus in constant interaction with it. [Laudato Si*]

How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!...For there the Lord ordained his blessing, life forevermore. [Psalm 133:1, 3b]

The earth is at the same time other; she is mother of all that is natural, mother of all is human, she is the mother of all, for contained in her are the seeds of all. [Abbess Hildegard of Bingen**]

...a lawyer asked [Jesus] a question to test him. "Teacher, which commandment...is the greatest?" He said..."You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." [Matthew 22:35b-39]

The Season of Creation originated in the Anglican Church of South Africa and was formalized in 2008. It is designed for us to explore our faith from a Creation perspective. The overarching theme for 2017 is Environmental Justice inspired in part by the Youth Principles from the Second National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit in Washington, DC in 2002, the text of which and a fuller explanation of the Season can be found here: http://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com/2017/10/prayers-of-people-in-beginning-1st.html

We use Biblical and other readings that pertain to the specific theme of each of the 7 weeks of the Season. Alternate readings used will follow the prayers.

Week Three's Theme is: Our Common Humanity

We are truly all in "this" together ~ this life, this planet. Pope Francis reminds us in his encyclical Laudato Si, that We have forgotten that we ourselves are dust of the earth...and that we are part of nature, included in it and thus in constant interaction with it. In the first Creation Story [Genesis 1], God gave dominion, or sovereignty, over the earth and all its species to humans. That doesn't seem to be going very well, with arguments over whether there is or isn't climate change, loosening or tightening restrictions about the quality of the ground, air, and water, and who will materially benefit most from legislation. Abbess Hildegard reminds us that our earth is the mother of us all, containing the seeds of all.

It is, as the Psalmist says so good and pleasant when we are all working together in unity for a common purpose. Jesus reminds us that we are to first love God with all we have and second - concurrently - to love our neighbors as ourselves. You would think, given some of the political rhetoric here and around the world, that we can stop interacting with the Earth and others and just take care of us and our part of the planet. But, as from the beginning of human sovereignty, we have fought wars seeking the destruction of others we don’t like or that we deem dangerous, especially to our self-interests. We blow up, ravage, and desecrate parts of this earth as if we had someplace else to go when this only home we all share becomes uninhabitable. And there are too many of us willing to decimate the resources of our planet for personal, privately held, material gain, oblivious - or uncaring - that this life is too short to exploit, wreck, and destroy the future of this Earth and humankind for the sake of the moment that is only now.

Of course, we must protect ourselves and others from those who are dangerous and who would do us harm. But all too often we categorize someone as dangerous because of gender, color, race, language, an area of the world, etc., because it's easier to have a big chart of absolutes - this group BAD, this group GOOD. Too often we rely on the blanket statements of those in "power" so we don't have to engage, learn, and understand that the more we realize that skin, muscles, bones, and brains are all God's Creation.

It's hard work to sift through my own prejudice and fear. It takes time away from the easier activities of going through life without having to think and just let others do all the work of preservation or destruction of people and places on my behalf. To love my neighbor and care for our common home also involves looking into oneself - how do I really feel about me and what am I expected - and willing - to do?

Two obvious questions emerge: Who is my neighbor? Anyone who is human. Do I have to like my neighbor? Not in a best friend sort of way, but an attempt to get to know her or him might surprise you. It is more about acceptance and tolerance of differences and similarities. We might actually enjoy the learning! We have common ground - pun intended. We must be intentional in our efforts to improve life for all – humans, the Earth, and every living creature and plant, for therein lies the future of Creation. And yes, we will fail, often, but we must keep trying. Let's keep working on it ~ together ~ for the sake of our common humanity.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Gracious Creator, embolden us to actively live our faith by loving and serving You with our whole hearts, souls, and minds with intention. Let us dare to follow Your command to love all humankind as if they were ourselves, and as we are loved by You.

LORD of All Life

RESPONSE: Help us put our trust in You

~ Gracious Creator, fortify our resolve to actively engage with those in political power in our World, our Country, and our Community to ensure they legislate with equity, for planetary health, and for the well-being of humanity. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Lord of All Life