Scripture Readings: Genesis 15:1-12,17-18 Psalm 27 Luke 13:31-35
by Michael Creal
The committee planning for Lent this
year chose “sustainability” as a Lenten theme. Sustainability is
a term that came into currency at a famous 1987 Conference on the
Environment and the economy held in Norway and presided over by the
Prime Minister of Norway Gro Harlem Brundland. She was a major leader
at that conference and she defined sustainability as “development
that meets the needs of the poor without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs.”
It was a conference filled with
optimism and promise, and what was called the Brundland Declaration
was hailed as the way forward because, it was hoped, the conflict
between environmental concerns and concerns about the economy could
actually be addressed creatively, without either concern being pushed
aside. Maurice Strong, a Canadian, also played a major role in that
conference
In our first reading from Genesis, Joseph clearly had enemies. In preparation for this homily I re-read Joseph’s history, going back as far as Abraham and Sarah, Jacob and Esau, Leah and Rachel—what tales of treachery and deceit! Joseph was the favoured son of Jacob’s favoured wife Rachel. Not only was he given a very special cloak but he announced to his brothers, dreams suggesting they would bow down to him. His brothers seethed with jealousy and somehow Joseph seemed a bit clueless in the lead up to their plot. Though they had originally schemed to kill Joseph, in the end they put him in a cistern and decided to sell him into slavery. They brought the hated cloak back to their father Jacob covered in animal blood to convince him that Joseph had been killed by an animal.
Some saints were farmers
like Serenus the gardener who shares your day, dear Ian.
They ploughed the land like billy-o
scattering the seed where fall it will
and harvesting the growth, if any,
in due season, tares and all.
And some moved kings and potentates,
and prelates too, as did bird-preaching Frances,
pushing Sultans, Popes, and a priest or two
to grant his brothers space; their kingdoms peace;
their people just a crêche or two
to see the mystery unfold.
When I was reviewing the various passages in preparation for today, I gravitated towards 1 Corinthians 13, specifically the section on love. It’s a big topic, but I thought to take a stab at it and I want to open my reflection with a poem my good friend Natasha Ramsingh wrote titled,
