Dominicans and Daily Life
In the Midwest this week, the ice and snow are melting. As I go about my day, I watch the dripping outside my window. I hear the seeping water and, sometimes, huge icicles crashing down to the ground.
As temperatures rise all over the world, melting ice is contributing to rising sea levels. Global ice loss has increased rapidly over the past decades, and scientists can connect human activities to the root of this phenomenon. Specifically, since the industrial revolution, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions have raised temperatures.
Can I allow what I witness outside my window to connect me to the plight of the universe? Am I willing to become one with the polar bear and the glacier, uniting in a creation web of interconnectedness?
How will this experience of communion change my behavior? Will I try to conserve my use of water? Will I find ways to avoid traveling by car all the time? Will I make a contribution to an organization working toward a healthier, safer planet?
Can I allow what I witness outside my window to connect me to the plight of the universe? Am I willing to become one with the polar bear and the glacier, uniting in a creation web of interconnectedness?
How will this experience of communion change my behavior? Will I try to conserve my use of water? Will I find ways to avoid traveling by car all the time? Will I make a contribution to an organization working toward a healthier, safer planet?
As Dominicans, we are called to take our daily experiences and connect with the whole world. To follow Christ inspires us to become one with all of nature and fashion our lives to make a difference. The theologian, Denis Edwards (2005) says, “Jesus’ insight into life and creation springs from an intimacy with the Holy One.” (49)
What about you? What daily occurrence this week moved you to connect with God and the universe?
Peggy Ryan, OP
River Forest, IL
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