Lesson 7: A World Alive

Genesis 1:20-25

 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

Comments

The variety of living things on earth is astounding. It is not easy, of course, to get an exact count when the numbers are so large, but here are the best estimates:

·        About 28,000 different fish in the sea

·        About 10,000 different birds in the air

·        About 5,000 different animals on land

Although these numbers are large, they are dwarfed by the diversity of insects, 900,000 of which have been identified.

Science has an explanation for how this great diversity has come about, but not much to say about why we are so fascinated by it. Consider some examples:

·        We snorkel, scuba dive and have aquariums filled with fish to marvel at their diversity and color

·        We go birding to identify different types of birds and to stand in awe at the brilliant colors and variety of body types

·        We build zoos to satisfy our fascination with exotic animals

Perhaps nothing expresses our fascination more, though, than the animals we adopt as pets. Perhaps the best way to understand all of this is simply to see these creatures as a gift from God.

Reflections

It is estimated that the population of large ocean fish has been reduced 90% by commercial fishing. In the last 200 years, at least 13 birds or animals have been hunted to extinction for sport or for commercial purposes. Many other fish, birds and animals are at risk because of pollution.

What efforts do you support that show respect for God’s creatures?

Prayer

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has populated our world with an abundance of such interesting and beautiful creatures.