A memorial service was held this past week for the eleven men who died on the oil rig which exploded in the Gulf of Mexico a few weeks ago. We have been so focussed on British Petroleum's impotence in controlling the environmental impact of hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil spewing into the water each day we might forget that eleven people were killed and their families mourn. No bodies were recovered, another blow. At the service eleven bronze helmets ringed the podium. What the photograph doesn't show is the cross in the background. Along with tributes, hymns were sung. This was a service of worship. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10159903.stm
I wonder if there will be a requiem for the untold number of other birds and fish and animals which will die as a result of this catastrophe? They too are God's creatures and their deaths are tragic, although not mourned in a traditional sense.
Is it fanciful to grieve the deaths of living things other than humans? Should there be a memorial service for other the other creatures?
3 comments:
If it were possible, I would remove all sea creatures from the affected part of the Gulf of Mexico and put them in a safer area. I would then put the BP senior management(CEO, COO, etc) right smack in the middle of that gooey mess....without a life preserver. But that's just me....and it probably isn't possible!
And they have failed once more to address the mess. We have war crimes tribunals. How about a "crimes against creation" tribunal? Thanks Johnny.
I like the idea of crimes against creation tribunals. Maybe people would finally begin to take it seriously.
Funerals for these living creatures is also a way of taking the destruction of creation seriously. Mabye the Church could lead the way in this.
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