Season of Creation

Last week, I was in Marburg, Germany, at the Ecumenical Forum of European Christian Women (EFECW), where women from different countries, cultures and Christian traditions across Europe gathered for the General Assembly. Our theme was “Renewal: ‘Then their eyes were opened’”, inspired by the Emmaus journey in Luke 24.

The Emmaus story speaks to me deeply. The disciples were walking together, carrying disappointment, grief and uncertainty. Jesus joined them on the road, walked with them, listened to them and opened the Scriptures to them. Yet they did not recognise him until their eyes were opened.

It makes me wonder: What are we not yet seeing? Where is Christ walking with us today? Perhaps we too need our eyes opened—to recognise Christ in those we encounter, especially those who suffer, are marginalised or overlooked.

From September to 4 October, churches and communities around the world observe the Season of Creation — a time to pray, reflect and act for the care of creation and climate justice. Perhaps this too can be an Emmaus moment: a moment when our eyes are opened to the suffering of people and the wounds of our earth.

But the Emmaus story does not end when the disciples’ eyes are opened. They get up and return to Jerusalem. Their encounter with Christ moves them from recognition to action, from the road back into community.

So perhaps this Season of Creation is an invitation not simply to look, but to see differently—to lament, to pray and to act.

What might that mean for us here in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and in other parts of Europe? We can pray for communities affected by climate disasters, use water wisely, reduce waste and plastic, learn together as churches, and support climate justice and advocacy. We can also draw on resources such as Operation Noah’s “Living Water: Actions for UK Churches” to help us turn our concern for creation into practical action in our own contexts.

For me, this is at the heart of renewal: an encounter with Christ changes how we see. And when our eyes are opened, we cannot simply remain where we are.

May Christ open our eyes to what we have overlooked, open our hearts to those who suffer, and give us courage to get up and walk into the world with renewed hope and purpose.

May our prayers become actions, and our actions become a witness to God’s love for all creation.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

God who walks with us,
walk with us on the road.
Open our eyes to recognise your presence
 in those who suffer 
and in your wounded creation.
Open our hearts to justice,
and give us courage to respond.
Send us into the world 
as channels of your healing and hope.
Amen.
Rev. Rebecca Daniel