Augustine Wouldn't Drink Bottled Water

I'm studying Augustine in one of my classes this spring. He said in the fourth century (CE) that everything that exists is a sacrament because God created it. Everything we can lay eyes on owes its existence to the Creator, thus is a manifestation of God's grace.

I realize this may bring up issues for some of you, e.g., the Creation/Evolution issue. As a person of faith who values science and reason, I do not see creation and evolution as mutually exclusive. The energy of the Holy Spirit is absolutely capable of moving over time, and being present in the evolution of existence.

God is infinitely more complex than my brain is capable of conceiving, thus it is inappropriate for me to put God in a box (e.g. the irrationally short timeline of events in the bible).

In faith however, I would lean toward Augustine. Reverence for all existence is essential to a responsible Christian faith. If I believe in God as the Source of life and being, I must regard all of life as such - and not be so ego or ethnocentric as to think that only my people and I are sacred.

In that spirit, I encourage you to do something for the earth today. Re-use that grocery bag, take public transportation, forgo your bottle of water for a glass and the tap. And remember, the best gift to the earth is to do it again tomorrow!