‘The Land of the Living’: Engaging with Creation

Abraham planted a tamarisk in Beer–sheba,

and there he called on the name of the Lord,

the Eternal God

(Gen 21:33)

Where will we find the resources for our commitment to the created world? How will we sustain our action for the benefit of the earth and the living things that inhabit it? Ecological mobilization, as we know, has placed the emphasis primarily on motives of fear and guilt, in other words, on reactive feelings.^[1] If fear plays an indispensable role in arousing a sense of urgency,^[2] can it, by itself, fuel a long-lasting ecological choice? Would it not be better to add proactive feelings that positively support a personal commitment to the “common home”?

Also, warnings about the climate and the future of species are accompanied by the dissemination of continuously updated scientific data. This reflects the fundamental role of science in the warnings in response to skepticism of all kinds. If such data plays an essential role in the ongoing mobilization, is it capable of supporting a fundamental commitment for the benefit of the green and blue planet? “The discourse of reason does not work,” observes oceanographer François Sarano, who is nonetheless dedicated to scientific evidence because of his work. In their abstraction, figures do not speak: “200,000 tons of plastic dumped every year in the Mediterranean, what does it mean?” The oceanographer goes on to say that what is important today is something else: “We must get everyone back into contact with living beings.”^[3]

This article will attempt to demonstrate this.

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