God gave us everything we need to live a happy, healthy life. Clean, pure water flowed across the Earth for us to drink and wash us bodies. The chemical mix of the air was just right for us to breathe. Behold, from the beginning with Adam and Eve, food was everywhere. We only needed to forage.
Animals were all around to teach us how to survive. Birds showed us that seeds, nuts, berries and corn were good to eat ... and abundant. Many trees provided us with fruit. Cattle taught us that green plants were abundant and by eating them, made huge animals strong. They assisted us in turning over soil to plant seeds to grow all colors of food. We and they flourished.
When we looked up, we could see a beautiful clear sky with wonderment sparkling everywhere. Some began to worship such beauty and gave it names and labels. So that they could feel closer to the gods, they began making tangible things they could hold in their hands that satisfied their kinesthetic desire.
According to rabbinical tradition, Terah, Abram’s father was a wicked idolatrous priest who manufactured idols. Abram, in opposition to his father’s idol shop, smashed his father’s idols and chased customers away. Abram heard from God and obeyed Him and the Earth flourished.
Yet new idols began to substitute for the idols Terah sold. Precious metals, gold, silver, diamonds were sought and hoarded. The person who had the most idols became more important than one who had less. People turned away from Abram’s god, thinking they had control over the water, air, food, and the animals.
The water became polluted so more gold was given to sellers of good pure water. Fish began to get sick so more gold was paid to get unpolluted seafood. Then people began to see they could charge the same price for a sick fish they raised instead of a wild caught fish. The air was polluted, they couldn’t breathe; they had to buy oxygen for many units of gold. Then wild animals all over the world began to die because community planners greedily did not leave food for them when they built up their cities to house the gold in banks.
All was going verily well, they thought. They had free choice. Very few knew who Abraham was and the word, god, was usually used with an abusive expletive, if at all. Those who remembered the clean water, air and food and knew about God, were mocked.
Then time stopped. Everyone, all over the world, had to change ... for everyone, everywhere was affected. Their gold became useless. They looked for magic instead of using all that God had given them.
They began to see, when they did not pollute, the Earth began healing itself. The water became drinkable again. The toxic air disappeared. People began eating immune boosting food again of many colors, shapes. Their immune system fought off the drastic pollution that had caused “time to stop” and they again walked with God.
Finally, they saw the light. It became crystal clear they had made some deadly choices. They finally understood that their beautiful, pure Earth was a caring gift from God that they had to cherish, just as we need to cherish each other.
The Rev. Ellin M. Dize is executive director of nonprofit NRS Inc. and facilitates A Course in Miracles spiritual discussion group at St. Paul’s UCC. She can be contacted at NRSsolutions@yahoo.com.