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SPECIES EXTINCTION AND YOU
We are being called to become more conscious of species
extinction, to know that every loss is a loss to ourselves,
personally. Not an abstract loss, not a theoretical loss, but a loss to
a part of our own being.
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The
capacity of the holy Earth to renew itself is extraordinary by some
standards, miraculous by others. Yet, a species that becomes extinct
cannot be replaced by an exact duplicate, for the conditions which gave
rise to this species in the first place are no longer present. Though
another species may arise that resembles it in many respects, it cannot
reproduce the life, color, characteristics, and essential Divine
blueprint of what was, that is now gone.
For this reason alone, we are called to become more conscious of species
extinction, to know that every loss is a loss to ourselves,
personally. Not an abstract loss, not a theoretical loss, but a loss to
a part of our own being.
We have traveled far in our ability to dominate the natural world, to
shape the environment according to our needs, but there remains a long
distance for us to travel to learn how to live in harmony with the
natural world, reflecting the consciousness that we are part of it and
it is part of us. We are made of the same molecular structure and
chemical building blocks. We breathe the same air. We are Divine life
expressing in multiple ways.
Within the landscape of observable and increasing species extinction, we
are asked by the necessities of our own life as well as the directives
of our heart to look at what it means to lose the pollinators of the
world - those flying species that travel from flower to flower and plant
to plant, bearing the seeds of the future. Species extinction of
pollinators affects our entire food chain, and not just our own food
chain, but the food chain of countless animals and forms of marine life
that we know little about. We are, in ignoring this loss, perpetuating a
chain of effects that impacts life itself everywhere on the planet.
To change this condition, more than a wish is needed. A wish is the
beginning, especially when it carries the weight of one's deepest
motivation. Yet, beyond wish, there needs to be a willingness to change
our practices individually and collectively so that we support the life
of other species upon whom our own life depends and to whom we are
related in intricate ways. The loss of any species affects the totality
of life. The loss of pollinators, whether bees, butterflies or other
flying creatures, affects our life in immediate ways.
April 14, 2014
April 14, 2014 has been designated as a day of action and contemplation
for Monarch butterflies and other endangered pollinators. "It takes
place on the 50th
anniversary of the death of Rachel Carson, the scientist who
wrote "Silent Spring" and is the matron saint of the environmental
protection movement. [There will be] church services and public
discussions
throughout America on April 14 to draw support for protecting both
Monarchs and other pollinators and the wild plants that they depend upon
to complete their lifecycle." ( NPR, Living on Earth, Feb. 21, 2014,
Gary Paul Nabhan)
It is necessary for life to recognize and revere life and not to
continue practices that detract from life. This is a Divine principle
and a human necessity. May all beings awaken to the consciousness of
their oneness with the Earth and all others, for only this singular
awakening will provide a motivation at the depth that is needed to
institute the changes that the whole world is waiting for.
For further information
www.makewayformonarchs.org
www.monarchwatch.org
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