For Christ's sake

By Nate Smelle

AS TIME PASSES, we humans tend to become more fixated on finding answers to difficult questions. Often the older we get, the deeper and more challenging these queries become. Like curious children looking up at the night sky in search of magical flying Reindeer, we cannot help but feel a sense of wonder when confronted by something far greater than our individual existence.
On many occasions in my life I've been lucky enough to be overcome with awe when faced with such life-altering encounters. Staring into the twinkling heavens through the rainbow filter of the Aurora Borealis, while sitting underneath a white spruce tree, more than 200 years old. Dancing in circles with a family of Caribou across the tundra in northern Labrador. Feeling a Black Bear‘s breath in the backwoods of Haliburton Forest, while clearing trails on my own. Following a flock of Pelicans and crossing paths with a Hippopotamus on my way to Kibran Gabriel, an island monastery on Lake Tana.
Gazing into the calmly closed eyes of a sculpture, handcrafted of earth and the ashes of some 300,000 “common people” who also consider Isshinji Temple a sacred space. Digging graves. Feeling the vibrations of a gigantic Oceanic Manta Ray, with a wingspan of 25 feet as we swim side by side, looking into each other's eyes. 
Each of these experiences has shaped me spiritually. Every one of them was born of Nature. Therefore, with an eye on the bigger picture, it makes sense that cultures and religions—both intergenerational systems composed of an ever-evolving blend of knowledge, beliefs, and traditions—would also stem from our collective awareness of our interconnectedness with the entire natural world, or, as many call it “God's Creation.”
Fortunately, or at least hopefully, we are beginning to understand that the way we treat “God's Creation”—including other people, the planet, and every living thing—is a reflection of our personal connection with the “Creator.” 
“Learn to love the Creator in the creature,” advised St. Augustine.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart... And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.'” Jesus said, in Matthew 22:37-39. 
Keeping these wise words in mind, it serves us well to ask ourselves what these words mean to us personally; and, how they are manifesting in the world our generation is building today.
Are we genuinely loving our “Creator” and all of “God's Creation” when we wage war and kill each other? Are we honouring this divinity when we allow the world's greediest individuals to steal from millions of people already trying to get by without reliable access to good food, clean water, safe shelter, and/or the best health care and education possible?
Are we really “Loving thy neighbour” as Jesus suggested, by closing our borders and refusing to help people fleeing war, violence, the potentially catastrophic impacts of the climate emergency or a personal crisis?  
As I said before, the older we get, the deeper our questions become?
But in reality these questions aren't very deep at all. Really, the answers they demand are just a matter of common sense. When you treat people—family, friends, fellow workers, employees, classmates, neighbours, and newcomers of all races, genders, religions, and cultures—with dignity, fairness, and respect we make the world, “God's Creation”, a more welcoming and loving home for all Creation. 
Isn't that the whole point of religion and spirituality?
There I go with the questions again. Nonetheless, I will leave you with one more. The next time someone in power is doing all they can to convince you that answering the above questions in any other way than most, hopefully all of you just did, for Christ's sake ask yourself: is that what Jesus would do?
This doesn't mean we need to start flipping over tables—or maybe it does and I just need to read more scripture. I'll have to get back to you on that one. 
In the meantime, it's good to remember that the Bible, as well as all Sacred Scriptures worldwide, remind us repeatedly that there are unpleasant consequences for those who choose not to honour “God's Creation.” And I'm not talking about finding one's way onto Santa's Naughty List.
As it is written in Revelations 11:18, “The nations were angry, and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and your people who revere your name, both great and small— and for destroying those who destroy the Earth.”
In the end, as I tried to point out last week, our basic humanity as individuals and communities is defined by our decision when facing Santa's choice of whether to be naughty or nice.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!