Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. – Genesis 2:7

Today’s Scripture Reading (April 7, 2015): Genesis 2

Not far from where I live there is a Museum dedicated to Gophers (actually they are Richardson Ground Squirrels.) At the Gopher Hole Museum, in the small village of Torrington, Alberta Canada, a space is dedicated to the art of recreating tiny human scenes that are populated by stuffed gophers. At the entrance to the museum you can find a binder that is stuffed full of petitions and complaints against the museum by PETA for the unfair treatment of animals. To be honest, in redneck Alberta, it is a complaint that is likely to fall on deaf ears. After all, we still hold to ancient Western traditions which include the racing of horses and the roping of cattle, both of which are activities that animal rights activists can’t understand.

But I also understand the PETA concern. I mourn for the animal species that we have lost, and those that we are on the brink of losing. Majestic and beautiful animals that are about to be wiped out because of us. But I also recognize that we live in a delicate balance with creation – it is a delicate dance for survival. As far as Richardson Ground Squirrels are concerned, they are a pest that damage the land and eat the crops when their number increases. And so they exist (plentifully) but in an uneasy relationship with the human population. And the Gopher Hole Museum actually stands as a testament to the struggle. But as much as the people of the area would like to write off the PETA complaint as simply being written without understanding, PETA reminds us that we are responsible for all of creation.         

But the question then becomes why is it that we are the ones who are responsible for creation? Am I responsible for creation because of I am smarter than the animals (although I admit that I sometimes really doubt that that is true?) Is it because I possess the miracle of opposable thumbs? Or is there something more?

Genesis suggests that it is more than our intelligence or our physical attributes that make us responsible for all of creation (including the Richardson Ground Squirrels). The reason why we are responsible is simply because the creator has breathed his breath into us – and in that act he has made us like him. This is the real meaning behind the idea that we are “created in his image.” In this action, we were given the power to create and the power protect the creation of God. But we are also given the ability to destroy. The choice is ultimately ours. But the Creator hopes that we will choose the way of life – and protect all that he has created. That we will allow his breath to drive us on toward making this world the place that God intended it to be.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Genesis 3