The Encyclical's Gift to Scripture Teachers

I absolutely love Holy Father Francis, so as far as I’m concerned he can do no wrong! I trust his wisdom, his insights, his prudence. I haven’t read “Praise Be,” just some commentary blogs, including the mired reporting of NY Times columnist David Brooks who apparently sees Pope Francis as intellectually inferior to him. Those who don’t like Francis to the point of insults fear him as a threat to further erosion of their comfort zones and their veiled, or not so veiled adoration of the idols of money and position. How can anyone guided by truth, not like Francis? So, praise be, don’t you get it? We’re Theo/ Eco people! Pope Francis has given a new way to understand “theology” – pronounce it “ecology” – theology and ecology inseparable, the Creator’s signature on the works of his hands. At his birth Jesus brought focus on this relationship through kinship to the Star of Bethlehem, to stardust, shimmering in the end result of God’s primordial word, “Let there be light!” – the same light, the same star dust, that formed the entire cosmos and everything in it, including our bodies and the Body of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. Jesus because he is Truth, is ecologically impelled and environmentally attentive. It’s also ecologically/environmentally stimulating relative to Jesus’ mind set, that he successfully shared his DNA with the DNA of other creations, maybe a heifer , Jesus asleep, or squirming as infants do, a newborn baby resting as bodily fluids intermingled with droplets of bovine saliva in the makeshift animal feeder/manger where he slept. Throughout his life Jesus was environmentally involved – much of his teaching dealing with water, wind, seed, soil and at death, the sun darkened and an electrical storm crashing about! End times promise to be even more ecologically wild, with men fainting for fear at what is coming upon the earth, the moon not shining because the sun has been darkened. Interestingly long before physical science knew that the moon got its light from the sun, Jesus spoke of it, that a darkened sun must lead naturally to an unlit moon. The Son knew what his Father had done, theologically a job done in Trinity – Trinity being the ongoing everlasting ecology, the environment of the Godhead! And all creation shares in the mystery and beauty of Trinitarian life. We do have to pay attention to cause and effects responsible for ecological/environmental malfunctions like global warming. Natural signs carrying positive, or negative outcomes are naturally replete. In Mt. 19 we find a hint of this as Jesus says, “When it is evening you say ‘the weather will be fair for the sky is red. And in the morning you say it will be stormy today for the sky is red and lowering’ “ Signs. They tell us something is happening or going to happen. “Praise Be” – are we listening?

Matt, This is not scripture but it is education. The Great Courses just came out with a short course on sustainable living. http://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/fundamentals-of-sustainable-living.html?cid=9483&id=80405&ai=116337&sa=RL&cm_mmc=email-_-Email116337_20150626-_-body-_-mainimg&cmp=email Have no idea what it says but it may be part of what you want to discuss with students in the future. May change my mind after viewing it but it is topical. I will be particularly interested in the lecture on sustainable water usage since it is relevant to California where my son and in-laws live.