Lenten Devotional by Wendy Greenleaf
March 18, 2017
I saw my first robin at Cushing today. Not the robust variety that winters over with us but the
slender robins that herald the arrival of spring. A small flock of them, about eleven or so, were
vigorously pecking at the semi frozen ground. The robins’ activity reminded me of their human
counterparts who were scurrying around gathering supplies in advance of the Nor’easter.
It seemed a bit early to me to see the robins and I wondered where they would find sanctuary in
this wintery blast and the food to keep them warm. I’ve been thinking a lot about sanctuary
lately. I tried to reassure myself that nature is resilient and that the robins would be ok.
Then, I stepped back into my car and listened to a discussion of the looming famine in Somalia
brought about by a deepening drought. 6.2 million people or half the population of the country
are projected to need food relief. Thousands of refugees are on the move and flooding into
Mogadishu overwhelming the local aid agencies. No reassurance to be made here. How can
the world handle another refugee crisis? The discussion continued and shifted to the perils of
climate change and its threat to national security.
Then, my thoughts drifted to the Arctic and the polar bears on dwindling pack ice searching for
food or drowning in the process. And to Africa where the poaching of elephants driven by the
insatiable desire for ivory has led to the decimation of a species on a scale so large it
bogles the mind. In minutes, a group of men carrying AK47s can wipe out matriarch elephants in
a herd and the knowledge they hold for their species’ survival. People, it turns out, aren’t the
only refugees. Elephant refugees from Namibia and Angola have sought sanctuary in Botswana
where hunting has been prohibited. The elephants instinctively know they are safer there. The
refugee numbers, however, have increased to such an extent that they are putting too much
pressure on the environment and the government of Botswana may need to consider culling.
The irony is painful. As we were reminded in a sermon recently, sanctuary isn’t always safe
space. But in a historic move, China has announced a ban on the trade and commercial
processing of all ivory by the end of 2017. A ray of hope for elephants on the brink of extinction.
Sanctuary is such an enormous concept and its worldwide need is unprecedented: asylum
seekers, refugees, immigrants, those experiencing homelessness, oppressed minorities,
animals, plants, and entire ecosystems. All living things need protection and care at one time or
another to thrive and survive.
Genesis 1:28 makes reference to giving man dominion over the earth. Whether one interprets
this literally or as stewardship, I hope we are up to the enormity of this task. The list is growing
and I feel small and inadequate in the face of all this global upheaval and pain.
God, help us find the wisdom, courage, and hope to deal with the complexity of these problems
and to respond to the call for Sanctuary. The web of life depends on it. Amen.