Peace With Creation 

The theme for this year’s Season of Creation is “Peace with Creation”, inspired by Isaiah 32:14-18 

The fortress will be abandoned, the noisy city deserted; citadel and watchtower will become a wasteland forever, the delight of donkeys, a pasture for flocks. 

 Until the Spirit is poured on us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest. 

Then justice will dwell in the wilderness and righteousness will abide in the fertile field. 

And the work of righteousness will be peace, and the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever. 

My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places. 

Isaiah vividly describes the results of human estrangement from creation from wealthy palaces to poor farmlands, forests, and oceans and as we listen to these words, we can see only too clearly how they describe our world today. But the prophet also offers hope describing the outpouring of the Spirit and the restoration of peace through justice. We will be exploring this theme over the next five weeks. 

The 2025 Symbol is inspired by this passage from Isaiah. Titled “Garden of Peace,” it depicts a white dove flying over a tree. The left side of the tree is barren, with roots digging into dry soil, surrounded by an arid, desolate landscape. In contrast, the right side of the tree is lush and green, standing amidst a flourishing landscape. The dove, carrying an olive branch in its beak, flies toward the right—symbolizing peace as a transition from a war-torn, overexploited land to one that is fertile, thriving, and hospitable. Let us remember that humanity was originally called to tend a garden. Through this year’s Season of Creation, we will reflect on the connection between caring for creation and fostering peace. The white dove with an olive branch is a globally recognized symbol of peace. In the story of Noah, it also signifies new life after destruction. 

Peace is more than just the absence of war. In the Hebrew Bible, shalom represents a far deeper concept—one that extends beyond the absence of conflict to the full restoration of broken relationships, as illustrated in Isaiah’s vision. This restoration encompasses our relationship with God, ourselves, the human family, and the rest of Creation. 

Throughout history, many human activities have contributed to the destruction of Creation and today, more than ever, some human activities take the form of a war against Creation. Our impact has expanded from local to global, manifesting in unsustainable lifestyles, excessive consumption, lasting pollution, and a throwaway culture. Some hold greater responsibility for this crisis—elite consumption, exploitative business models, and economic theories prioritizing profit over sustainability. Pollution, health crises, deforestation, and mining in conflict zones worsen the situation. Last year’s UN Biodiversity Conference in Cali, Colombia, aptly themed “Peace with Nature,” highlighted the urgency of these issues. 

Saint Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of the Creatures calls the Earth our sister and mother. How can Mother Earth nurture us if we fail to contemplate, learn from, and love her? Ignoring our interconnectedness undermines this vital relationship. Our hope is that creation will find peace when justice is restored. 

What does this mean for us as Christians? Creation is God’s sacred gift, entrusted to our care. Christians are called to protect and nurture Creation in peace, working in partnership with others and passing this responsibility on to future generations. Its deep interconnectedness makes peace both essential and fragile.  

Churches engage globally in climate, agriculture, and biodiversity efforts, grounded in theology and a prophetic call for repentance and justice. Only through reconciliation with and genuine justice for all living beings will Creation find peace, fulfilling Isaiah’s vision. 

Last year’s season of creation focused on the Greek word Oikos, referring to the interconnectedness of all creation and our responsibility to care for, protect and sustain the earth, protecting it as a home where everything in creation has its rightful place. This year’s theme is a continuation of that concept. As a global Christian family, we are called to respond with healing action for our planet earth. Our family is made up of the whole of humanity and each of the species that inhabit this planet, our common home.  Our home is in danger. The climate crisis is causing loss of inhabitants and ecosystems that are home to millions of species, including human beings. Our earthly home is endangered by climate disasters and human conflicts and is desperate need of renewal. Our baptismal call urges us to renew the whole earth so that life can flourish once again. More than ever before, we are called to unite in prayer and to take action for the healing and well-being of our common home. 

God promises to take care of us. Our responsibility then is to exercise holy stewardship by taking care of God’s justice in the world. Those of us who have our basic needs met and, in some cases, more than our basic needs, have a responsibility to participate in acts of conservation and social justice on God’s behalf. God expects us to put energy into things that bring meaning to life. We must strive to discern how God is working in the world and participate in acts of justice and restoration, then, to paraphrase the words of Jesus “God will take care of the rest”. 

We are not alone…we live in God's World. 

Amen. 

 

 

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