The Canadian Press reported on Tuesday, May 20, “A wildfire that forced thousands of people to evacuate several Fort McMurray neighbourhoods last week is no longer classified as out-of-control.”
In May my daughter’s friend Jenn, and her daughter, went to Edmonton waiting out the fire in their home community of Fort McMurray. The following weekend much-needed rain and the steady work of firefighters were able to get the fire under better control. I don’t know whether Jenn and her daughter are back home, but I hope they could go back and be safe.
That much is good news. Where do we go from here?
How do we care for our creation?
What we do matters. Each of us plays a part as a caretaker of creation. While we may not be surrounded by an immediate forest, we do have a say in what we do to nurture and heal the land and air.
In Ontario, we are aware of precious farmland closer to home being demanded for housing and industry. As a girl raised on a farm, understanding good agricultural practices, this concerns me. As well as concern over the amount of water needed for further development. At the same time, I know a young family in our community who do not have enough resources, with a one-family income, to own or even rent a home and must move away do so.
There’s so much to think about, so many factors at play. How are we to manage it all?
We are the caretakers, stewards of the land (Genesis 1:26). How we use it matters very much. Acting wisely and learning as much as we can about preserving creation, and understanding the balance between the need to feed people, which farmers do, and the need for jobs and places to live, requires us to educate ourselves and sometimes advocate too.
Our call is to act wisely and pray where we can for changes that can make a difference.
Carolyn Wilker
