Creation Teach-in
Mark 13
“Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels and gather the elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates.”
– Mark 13:26 – 29, NRSVUE
In this apocalyptic monologue in Mark 13, Jesus casts an epic vision of divine messengers combing all of creation to bring all of God’s people together at the coming of the Son of Man. Then he shifts his disciples’ attention to a fig tree. He suggests that this tree has something to teach them, and being its students will help them prepare for the future to come.
American society tends to encourage us to assume roles of teachers and rulers over creation. It offers ample ways to turn creation into our students through bulldozers, pesticides, and genetically modified seeds. What if we instead approached creation as our teacher? What if creation’s lessons are vital for us to learn in order to recognize and prepare for God’s coming?
What teach-in with creation can you attend this week?
Get the “Advent with the Earth” Devotional PDF
Credits
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version updated edition of the Bible
Image of fig tree is by Jametlene Reskp on the Unsplash website
