How do we learn our place in the web of creation? How can humans learn to understand the relationships that ground us and support us? This is an issue in our technological society because we think of stuff as there to be manipulated, used, made use of. We don't treat people like that, but we tend to treat nature the way we do machines.
For this reflection, I want to turn to a book in the Hebrew bible. In the book of Job, Job makes his experience the measure of the justness of the world. He argues that he was a good man, a righteous person so there is no reason for him to suffer as he has suffered. He concludes that the world and the world's creator must be unjust.
God answered him from a whirlwind like this: "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements--surely you know...Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst forth from the womb; when I made clouds its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band." (RSV) In the chapters that follow, God asked, "Who gave the horse its strength and courage? By whose wisdom does the hawk fly? Can you catch the whale, put him in a cage like a bird or on a leash for a maiden to walk with?"
This does not answer Job's question, but instead shifts the perspective, taking people out of the centre of the story. The writer reminds us that humans have a place in the world, yes. But our place is not in the centre.
The author goes on for a whole chapter about the power of whale. With the boats and fishing tools they had, there was no way to catch a whale. They could not put this marvelous creature in a cage or on a leash, and they certainly would not kill one. For them, the whale is a reflection of God's power, so much greater than human power. The whale is a reminder that they need to remember that human power is limited.
They would be astounded at our treatment of whales. We conquer and capture and butcher these amazing creatures. I think that Herman Melville, the author of Moby Dick, is right that part of the attraction of whaling is that it is a place where humans prove how powerful we are. And that arrogance is destructive not just to whales but to humanity.
When we picture the structure of creation, we are at the top. We're the ones with the most brain capacity. We're at the top of the food chain. We're the ones with the power to do what we want in the world. Yes we need machines to conquer the whale, but we can do it.
What the author of Job does is level the world: God is so far outside and above, that everyone and everything is on the same level.
Then, they look at the relationships in nature. They invite us to see the web, the relationship between hawk and prey. There is a wonderful description of a hippo and it's place in the river ecosystems. They invite the reader to see patterns, the way rivers and oceans move.
This writer asks people to look at the web of relationship, to see the inter-dependence of creatures, to see that humans live within this complex system. Job has been looking out at the world from his corner, as many of us do. The writer asks him and us to look from God's view point, to see the whole network of creation.
When we look from outside the ecosystem, or at least stand apart for a moment to see as much as we can grasp, we realize that every action has consequences. We begin to sense the negative consequences our actions can have. We measure our decisions by others not just ourselves.
For the person who is looking for an explanation for suffering, this picture is frustrating. There is no explanation. But what is offered is guidance for how to deal with the challenges of life. We can't fix everything. We can't do away with illness or death. We can, however, fit into the web of life, use our limited power to make a difference.
Cathy Hird is a farmer, minister, and writer living near Walters Falls
