Nancy Wales, CSJ on behalf of the Federation Ecology Committee
Elizabeth Johnson, CSJ, in her article, “For God so loved the cosmos” points out that when Christ became human, he also became part of the vast physical body of the cosmos.
“Scientific discoveries have made it clear that human flesh
is part of the evolutionary network of life on this planet.
Which in turn is a part of the solar system,
which came into being as part of a long cosmic history.
This awareness of our natural
history provides new meaning of the ‘flesh’
that the Word became.”
In Johnson’s accentuating for her readers this incredible scientific reality she not only stretches our thinking about Jesus’ incarnation but also begs us to ponder the wonder of our own human form. As the Psalmist heralds, “I praise you for I am wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139) It is so easy for us to take our human body for granted. Yet in this gift of God, the wonder of God’s creation abounds. https:/youtu.be/4aoIBROXvZ000
Furthermore, we often miss appreciating the oneness Jesus, himself, felt with all of creation. Jesus frequently framed his message in the context of the natural world. Scripture incorporates numerous images of nature that he relied on to convey his message: lost sheep, sower and seed, birds of the air, lilies of the field, fields ripe for the harvest, etc. Might not our encounters with the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels help us better attune ourselves to the wisdom found in creation.
