Awakening to God’s Gift of Creation - Fourth Sunday of Lent

When meditating on the readings for the Fourth Sunday of Lent through the lens of Crucified
Creation, we hear a strong call to wake up to the environmental devastation that is occurring in
this world. In each of the readings, we are shown the healing powers of earth and water. The
elements of creation are used to heal and to anoint. In the first reading, the Spirit of God enters
David after he is anointed with oil carried in an animal horn (1Sam 16:13). In Ephesians, Paul
tells of the healing power of Christ’s light, the light of truth (5:9, 14). In the Gospel of John,
using earth and water, Jesus brings sight to a blind man (9:1-7). If our water and earth are
poisoned and we refuse to see the truth, the elements of creation are unable to heal and anoint,
but instead bring sickness and harm.
One of our biggest symbols of Crucified Creation is our use of
fossil fuels, particularly a procedure for natural gas mining
called hydraulic fracturing, also called hydro fracking. This
method of mining natural gas is very disruptive to the
environment and to human health. Within the Marcellus Shale
formation (which extends through New York, Pennsylvania,
Ohio, and West Virginia) there are natural gas deposits that
could hold 500 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Ten percent of
that amount could supply the entire United States with natural
gas for about two years.
1
Hydro fracking uses horizontal directional drilling to obtain gas at further distances than the
traditional well boring techniques, making it more
profitable. The well is dug down, and then
horizontally through the shale to hit the pockets of
gas trapped between the layers of shale. To do this,
high pressurized water is pumped down into the well
to break or fracture the shale, then sand or other
substances are pumped down to keep the shale layers
open. Gas seeps through these openings that were
previously inaccessible. More gas can be mined from
hydro fracking than from one-directional drilling.
The water and sand that is pumped down into the well has added chemicals to aid in digging the
well bore, assist in flow of water and sand down into the well, and facilitate the pumping of the gas up to the surface. Some of the chemicals used are biocides that keep organisms from growing
in the well borings in order to keep the liquids flowing. It is very difficult to keep these
chemicals from spilling onto the ground, killing many plants and animals on site, and entering
nearby water bodies. Other chemicals that are used can be damaging to skin, eyes and sensory
organs; the respiratory system; the gastrointestinal system and liver; the brain and nervous
systems; the immune system, kidney, cardiovascular systems and blood; and can contribute to
cancer, genetic mutation, and endocrine disruption.
2
The gas industry has received waivers from
following federal environmental laws including the Safe Drinking Act, Clean Water Act and
Clean Air Act. These waivers put human health and all of creation in jeopardy.
After learning about this truth, how are we to act? Ephesians calls us to be engaged with the
world and wake up. Confronting oppression may bring us fear, but in the story of Samuel, we
learn that God will be with us and help us along the way. In the Gospel of John, God warns us
not to be blinded from the truth. When we learn the truth we need to act, or we remain blind. The
truth is that creation is crucified when our wants lead to over-consumption and overconsumption leads to environmental degradation, which further leads to the harm of our brothers
and sisters and all of creation. We are called to address our personal consumption and our
community consumption and act justly. We are called to address the injustice of the gas industry
and call them to follow all environmental laws that were put in place to protect ecosystems and
human health. We are called to address our congress men and women to revoke these waivers to
environmental laws and have all corporations follow them for the protection of all our brothers
and sisters in creation. If we had the courage to act, the light of Christ would shine and illuminate
the healing and anointing power of the elements of creation. Creation would once again be a
mirror of Trinitarian love.

Sr. Caryn Crook, OSF
FAN Action Commissioner