October 1st

“Therefore the land mourns, and all who live in it languish; together with the wild animals and the birds of the air, even the fish of the sea are perishing.” Hosea 4:3

creation has slipped into sackcloth,
birds are dusted with ashes,
fishes mingle their tears with water,
animals wear black armbands—
all bearing the wounds we make.
for we take
without giving thanks,
we consume
without a hint of moderation,
we expend water and air,
land and resources, even people,
as if you were an eternal ATM,
O God, constantly replenishing
everything we want or need.
yet, you are the One through
whom all things were and
and in whom all things
can be made new.
so may the groaning of creation
become the words of our prayer
for repentance which makes us turn
from treating your good earth
as if it were completely disposable,
and our turning into acts of mercy
for your creatures we act as if
their lives do not matter
as much as our own,
and our acts into the holy work
of repairing what we have damaged.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman