Walking out this morning, tasting the fresh air, hearing the birds flutter, feeling the warmth of the sun. There is so much to appreciate even in these anxious and uncertain days. That thought continued when I heard Frank Gardner on the wireless. I have a lot of time for him. I would not be without his insights into the politics of the Middle East and his attempts to explain the terrorist mindset. He was not on these themes this morning, however. He was reading a poem. Every day the Today programme has one of its staff reading a poem relevant to these times. Frank’s was There Will Come Soft Rains (War Time) by Sara Teasdale:
‘There will come soft rains and the smell of the ground,
And swallows circling with their shimmering sound;
And swallows circling with their shimmering sound;
And frogs in the pools singing at night,
And wild plum trees in tremulous white,
And wild plum trees in tremulous white,
Robins will wear their feathery fire
Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire;
Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire;
And not one will know of the war, not one
Will care at last when it is done.
Will care at last when it is done.
Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree
If mankind perished utterly;
If mankind perished utterly;
And Spring herself, when she woke at dawn,
Would scarcely know that we were gone.’
Would scarcely know that we were gone.’
Frank explained how much he appreciates the picture of nature here as permanent and enduring. Despite everything that is happening in the world of men and women - and the poem was written in 1918 - nature will not be denied. There will always be life in the birds, the trees and the changing seasons. While the future of humankind is uncertain we can always depend on Spring.
It’s quite a different picture from the one often painted these days of humankind surviving but in an environment ruined by exploitation and greed. Here we have ‘Nature’ as the victor over the worst that we can do. It’s an idealised vision. It invites us to celebrate those things that are uplifting in the natural world but there is no acknowledgement of the dark side of nature, the storms that destroy, the enmity between species, the viruses that kill.
The Bible invites us to see nature as God’s creation. When our hearts are touched by the wonder of it all we are encouraged to give thanks to Him:
‘The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.’ (Psalm 19:1)
When it all began it was good (Genesis 1: 31) but the sin of humankind infected the Creation at its heart. The result was disrupted relationships, disharmony with the environment, disturbance of the balance God had built in to His Creation. I’ve always been conscious how for many reasons people feel that that perspective on Creation is hard to accept. But think of how we are reminded these days of how our actions are affecting the environment and how unless we change irreparable damage will be done. Are Biblical truths coming home to people by unusual routes?
The reality is we do not have a perfect Creation but we are assured that it is God’s great project to renew what has been spoiled, to flush out everything that speaks of imperfection, to fully establish His Kingdom on earth. The Psalmist shares a vision of this:
‘Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.” The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity. Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. Let all creation rejoice before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness.‘ (Psalm 96: 10-13)
The fullest expression of the New Creation is in book of Revelation where the apostle John is given a vision of this old and weary earth giving way to the renewing surge of God’s power and everything that has ever brought tears to the eyes of men and women no longer has any place:
‘Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”’ (Revelation 21: 1-5)
It will not be nature as we know it that will endure at the end of all things but the God who has been revealed in Jesus Christ. He has promised a New Creation for a renewed humanity to enjoy.
