Stations of Creation

The Great Flood

“God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight people, were saved through water.  And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you” (1 Peter 3:20-21)

The waters are deep, and they have been destructive too.  We know for ourselves the dangers of flood waters – how they can damage property, threaten life – and so often these days, flooding is a familiar result of climate change.   So the story of the Great Flood is one which can speak to us in this and every generation, and is certainly favoured by children and Sunday school teachers, as this fantastical flood story fires their imagination.

Today, for many, the Ark is a sign and a story of conservation although perhaps for those who really see this story as a religious revelation we’d choose the word salvation for it’s through the wood of the Ark that God saves Noah and his family and every living species, making it possible for life to begin again, bound by the promise of God.  It is an image of the events to come when, through the wood of the cross, the whole world is saved, and in the waters of Baptism we die and rise with Christ, a new creation, united in him.

We are part of an intricate and well balanced eco-system, where the plight of creatures as small as the bees can threaten the food chain and the ability for humanity to feed itself.  We are all intimately linked, a wonderful web of relations and interdependence.  As stewards of God’s Creation, our imaginations should be fired, our enthusiasm fuelled, to respond to the plight before us, to undo the mistakes we have made, to have a care in the world.

Prayer

Lord God, you are great and glorious and wonderfully kind, and want us to draw closer to you and one another.  Help us to turn our care for the world into action, and to live our lives for you.  Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.