The heavens declare the glory of God – the whole creation has been groaning.

(Psalm 19:1 & Romans 8:22)

How do we make sense of a planet that simultaneously sings and sobs?

In the beginning, God gave a spoken word performance of cosmic proportions.

And God said…

His words went out to all the earth and echoed throughout time.

Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.(Psalm 19:4)

Yet the planet groans.

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. (Romans 8:22)

Why instead of a divine spoken word performance do we hear a planetary protest? Why are we so attuned to the grumbling and not the gratitude?

We were originally called to be grateful gardeners.

The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. (Genesis 2:15)

However, we violated the divine non-compete clause and set up our own landscaping company only to find the thorns and thistles a bit daunting. Aching and sweaty we became disgruntled laborers.

And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:17-19)

The pristine earth became host to the misery of man. Its luscious jungles were defoliated by napalm. The seas became watery graves for battle ships. The heavens became littered with spy satellites. We made that which God called very good into something very bad.

Interestingly, our Fall and salvation both give us a case of arboreal angst. Initially told to ignore one tree we are now called to acknowledge another one. The tree that was the ticket out of Edenville has been replaced by a tree that is an invitation to the New Jerusalem. We suffered original indigestion when we bit off a bit more bad fruit than we could chew but our health can be eternally restored by taking and eating of the First Fruit of those who have fallen asleep.

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:20)

How do we become an apple that doesn’t fall too far from the tree? How do we reconnect to the vine?

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. (John 15:4

We are adopted into the family of God by the work of Jesus and it is only when we retake our place as sons and daughters that we will get back to the family business of caring for our Fathers estate so that the world can breathe a sigh of relief.

For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Romans 8:19-23)

Creation doesn’t long to get rid of humans but waits for us to resume our proper place as children of God. Planetary healing only comes when we become God’s adopted children and not irresponsible adults. 

Photo by Jordan Beltran on Unsplash