Tearfund Lent Devotional Day 23

Angels and insects

‘To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it.’ (Deuteronomy 10:14, NIV)

In her book Why Rebel, Jay Griffiths writes: ‘I wish that everyone who said they believed in angels would actually believe in insects.’

One third of all crop production on Earth relies on pollinators such as bees and other insects. Nearly 800 million people currently don’t have enough food to eat – if insect populations continue to decline, that number will skyrocket.

Our mistreatment of God's creation also accelerates flooding: trees and coral reefs – which are being destroyed by human activity – are natural flood defences.

The clearing of rainforests meanwhile releases huge amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, as well as reducing the Earth’s ability to absorb them – accelerating climate change.

If we truly love Christ, we need to love both people and wider creation. The two are inseparable.

God of creation, we repent for the way we have abused this earth – the poisoned rivers, the toxic fumes, the polluted seas, the species we have made extinct. Forgive us, and, out of love for you and your creation, help us to change. Amen.

Gideon Heugh

Gideon writes for Tearfund and is a poet and environmentalist