humans and our violence exact effects on other creation

Another report has come from the Democratic Republic of Congo about a poached gorilla infant. The animal was poached when park rangers had to flee their work due to escalating violence in the North Kivu province. Poachers hoped for a return of $8,000 for the dead gorilla.

The violence of humans extends far beyond human casualties. As a Christian, I believe that my witness to life and grace includes non-human creation. When I read Genesis, I am less concerned with "original sin" than I am with how our continued sin destroys the creation made by God and upon which God looked and declared "good."

I wonder how we might live in the world if we saw it - in its entirety - as the Garden of Eden, that place where we have been set by God to live in harmony with all of creation. We have a sacred duty, I firmy believe, to be fierce protectors of all of creation. As a result, we have to make difficult choices to step away from lives and actions that exact violence upon God's good earth and precious, precious animals.

It's getting bad out there, folks. What are we prepared to do about it? Once we're expelled from this garden, there's no where left to go.

For more on the poached gorilla, read here:

Congo Park Rangers Find Dead Gorilla
By TODD PITMAN, Associated Press Writer
Tue Sep 25, 5:38 PM

DAKAR, Senegal - Park rangers in Congo found a dead mountain gorilla after a raid on a suspected ring of gorilla traffickers in which authorities detained two people, conservationists said Tuesday. (More)