THE GIFT OF DOMINION

By Pastor Wes Poole

Genesis 1:26

Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” – NRSV

In just a couple of hours, I will receive my second Pfizer COVID vaccination. To say that I am grateful hardly does it justice. I am profoundly relieved that and my family and I will be spared from this awful disease that has taken so many lives. I am also just astonished by how quickly the vaccine was created. It took over 20 years after the Influenza Pandemic of 1918 for an effective vaccine to be created. This time, it took less than a year! That got me thinking about the Creation stories in Genesis. God has granted humankind dominion over the Earth. Now maybe that doesn’t sound like that big of a deal. We’ve heard all of that before. Still, as I pondered the ramifications of this “dominion” with which God has gifted us, it struck me as something to which we should perhaps pay closer attention. God in His wisdom has given us the capacity to make sense of the world around us; to bring order to it in a way that benefits everyone. This is a monumentally awe inspiring reality. Think about it. God has trusted us with the fruits of His creative genius. With that trust comes a responsibility to care for this world He brought into existence…and the lives of everyone and everything in it. We don’t always live up to that trust. Pollution, climate change, poverty…all of these things still plague us, yet are within our grasp to make better. This COVID pandemic though has shown us what can happen when we manage to live up to God’s trust, and put the faculties with which He has gifted us to good use. God has given us everything that we need to make this world a better place for all who live in it. Following the example Christ set for us, we Christians have the responsibility to bring our gifts to bear in a way that relieves suffering, heals grief, and makes the world a kinder, more generous place. Join me in taking a moment today to give thanks to God who not only loves us, but has made us a part of His Plan; a part of the solution to any of our world’s problems. With God, all things are possible!

Let us pray…

Creator God, we thank you for the gift of Creation, and for the opportunity and responsibility to care for it and each other. Inspire us to focus our gifts and energies on healing the world’s hurts, and bringing hope and joy to everyone who needs it. Jesus showed us how to live and care for one another. Be with us as try to live up to his example, for it is in his name that we pray. Amen.

Be well, be kind, and be safe.

Blessings always, 

Pastor Wes †  

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