This week I tried another prayer station, continuing the theme through the summer break.
The reflection is on the Approaches to Prayer site, under the heading Intercession and select Global Issues.
So if you’re doing this by yourself, it might be handy to grab a couple of things. You’ll need an atlas, globe, printed or online map of the world; the Guardian online has a fantastic map of the world in pdf format you can use. The other thing you’ll need is a map or overview of your local area, district or parish.
If you have the tech for it, you might want to use Google Earth, especially, if you’ve got a VR headset such as the Oculus Rift. It’s thoroughly breathtaking to be able to see everything in 3D; if you do have the resources for it, then I suggest that whoever is following this needs someone with them to read for them.
So starting out, you’re way out in space and gradually get closer and closer to where you are, changing perspectives during every reflection. The scripture used changes with your view of things, and when you start out imaging our world from space you can appreciate the beauty of the world, gradually as you get closer you start to see more and more detail until eventually, the problems of the world become apparent.
The scripture flows like this:
31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.
Genesis 1:31 (NIV)
24 Lord, you have made so many things!
How wisely you made them all!
The earth is filled with your creatures.
Psalm 104:24 (GNT)
31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
may the Lord rejoice in his works—
Psalm 104:31 (NIV)
51 Be merciful to me, O God,
because of your constant love.
Because of your great mercy
wipe away my sins!
2 Wash away all my evil
and make me clean from my sin!
Psalm 51:1-2 (GNT)
The contrast between the beauty of the world and the problems we cause is very dramatic. It is apparent that while we as individuals or as nations serve our own self-interests, we will never be able to qualify ourselves as good guardians of this fair Earth while so many of us ignore its needs.
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
Genesis 2:15 (NIV)
To be honest, my emotions going through this started off with, wow, need some Jean-Michel Jarre (either Equinoxe or Oxygene), look at the world, ooh it’s lovely … oh wait, look at the land, the sea [shouldn’t I be able to see the Great Wall of China?] … deserts, forests, birds, jungles, polar bears … Amazon destroyed, trees tumbling, tundra burning, the sea’s congealing, plastic, toxic, nuclear, wasteland, stop!!! Nooooo, what are we doing? We can’t do this, we have to stop!! Oh … wait … I can see my house from here! From this, you can see there’s an awful lot that can go through your head when you just do a simple bit of prayer reflection. Our human nature is to blot out the things in life that do not directly concern us; perhaps we should be more reflective, and remember that we are God’s caretakers on this planet.
Dear Lord, thank you for providing this opportunity.
Forgive us our short-sightedness,
for our misuse of the power,
you loaned us over your creation.
Grant us the wisdom to undo the harm we have done,
help us to rebuild that which we have lost,
and to breath new life into our world
where so much now ceases to exist.
Lead us to peace on this world,
to bring about your kingdom.
Restore around us the beauty that we have lost.
Amen
PrayBee 