Thursday, September 29, 2022

Papal Notes - Sitting at the Feet of Plants

"The plant paradigm takes a different approach to earth and environment. Plants cooperate with all the surroundings environment; even when they compete, they cooperate for the good of the ecosystem.  Let’s learn from the meekness of plants!” (Pope Francis’ Tweet).
Pope Francis advises us to study and learn from the “meekness of plants.” Not all plants are meek. Many plants are poisonous, and many more have spines and thorns. 
 
The Bible does not instruct us to learn meekness from plants, but rather to look to Jesus and learn from Him because He is “meek and lowly” in heart. We have a perfect example to learn from:
Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls
.” Matthew 11:28, 29.
Jesus tells us that we should look at the flowers in the field to know that God will also take care of us and to help us build our faith in our Creator as we seek His kingdom and righteousness:
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.Matthew 6:28-33.”
Instead, Pope Francis is telling us to look to the earth and to nature
so that we can promote the United Nations 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development. 
 
---This is the opposite of what Jesus told us to focus on." AdventMessenger