“But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
    or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;
 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
    or let the fish in the sea inform you.
 Which of all these does not know
    that the hand of the Lord has done this?
 In his hand is the life of every creature
    and the breath of all mankind…
 Is not wisdom found among the aged?
    Does not long life bring understanding?” – Job 12:7-10

Sometimes a scripture covers everything… this morning the Book of Job references the goodness of God, the beauty of the day, an implicit message about conservation and – I love this – the “wisdom of the grandparents”!

Rebekah and I found our serendipity on the road to Detroit, driving along the western shores of Lake Erie with the rain pouring down. We noted the natural beauty of the wetlands so I turned down a random side road and we ran into the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge visitors’ center where we took in the overview video and – during a break in the rain – walked a little way into the conservation area.

What we learned:

We learned the story of the indigenous Ottawa peoples, and how they were forced out of their homelands. We learned about the Great Black Swamp of northwest Ohio, and how the 1,500 square mile ecosystem was completely destroyed in the 19th Century. We also learned how conservation efforts today can do so much to restore the benefits of the wetlands in ways that also preserve the economic advantages of the rich farmland.

My thoughts:

Of course – and this is a hugely important idea – what is good for the environment is also (in the long term) beneficial economically. I believe one of the chief culprits in this dance between economics and environment is short term greed at the expense of longterm prosperity.

“Short term greed at the expense of longterm prosperity.” I believe it says a lot about where we are. The problem is not economic development, the problem is greed and a selfishness that cares little for future generations.

Which is why this discussion must begin and end (and continue) in and from the context of not only creation but The Creator. Because an understanding of our place in this world, and our relationship to The Creator, is as crucial to the health of Planet Earth as it is to our souls.

Today Rebekah and I will be taking the grandchildren for a tour of the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. There should be a lot to share later!

So, peace and more peace, both to and in each one of us and to this Good Earth! – DEREK