Today’s Scripture Reading (February 5, 2020): Micah 6
One of my favorite
authors is the Science Fiction Master, Frank Herbert. The first novel of his
that I read was the classic “Dune” and then all of the sequels. I have read “Dune”
probably a dozen times. It tells a story of a fictional Messiah and his arrival
on the desert planet of Arrakis. But in the background of the story is a tale
of a people that have learned to live in harmony with the natural world on their
planet. Arrakis becomes vital because it is the only source of spice, a
substance necessary for navigation during space travel. But the desert planet
is also the home of the Giant Sandworm, who fiercely defends the world from
intruders. The Fremen, the native people of Arrakis, have learned to walk
across the vast sands of the planet without disturbing Arrakis’s great defender.
But outsiders struggle and are often killed by the Sandworm. And this is the
struggle as the dominant houses of the Galaxy tries to obtain the needed spice
of Arrakis.
Herbert, in
other fictional stories, conjures up sea kelp who are sentient and come to the
defense of their fictional homes. Or animals that attack with ferocity to
defend their habitat. And it is not just the imagination of Frank Herbert that
postulates such ideas. What if nature could take control and protect itself?
What if the trees were sentient, and they decided to band together to defend
themselves, or to get retribution for, their fallen comrades? What if the animals
of the planet could somehow communicate with each other and decided to put
aside their differences so that they could get rid of us, the greatest threat
to their existence? It is a great theme in Science Fiction literature and our
nightmares.
As Micah tells
the story, God once again assumes his position as the prosecutor of the world. And
it is in this position that he presents his case against his children, Israel
and Judah. And the God of all creation sets a scene that almost seems to come
out of the imaginative mind of authors like Frank Herbert. He charges nature,
the mountains, and the foundations of the planet, to serve as both judge and jury
in the trial.
A good defense
attorney might argue that nature cannot serve as our jury. There is no way that
nature could remain impartial in a trial of man because we have harmed it as
much as we have stood against God. But the argument from the defense would not
likely hold any sway. There is no impartial audience who could be called on to
serve in the trial. We are unilateral offenders, and we always have been. We learned
early to serve only ourselves and what it is that benefits our lives.
And that is the
problem. That is why we are continually running afoul of God's laws, earning
for ourselves his disdain. It is this brink from which God continually tries to
pull us back. It was in the days of Micah, and it still is today. This is our
story. And it is my story. May those who have ears, listen to it.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Micah
7
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