What Will These Animals Do?

What will all of these animals do—
The bulls and the rams,
The cows and the sheep,
The pigeons and the goats,
And the lambs—
Now that sacrifice has been abolished?

Will they return home,
To tell the good news,
To the hawks, wolves, and camouflaged hunters?
Their joyful songs echoing through the valley,
Each one worshipping according to its kind,
Praising their redeemer.

After all, Jesus took their place—
Not ours.

Will they come to the table,
And receive the bread and wine,
The gifts of grain and fruit?

Will they join us at the love feast,
"Every green plant for food"?

Or must they too, wait patiently?
Eyes cast heavenward,
Flesh groaning for redemption,
Praying “Father forgive them"
Still interceding.

 

About the author: Matthew Morin worships with Milwaukee Mennonite Church.

Holy Week and the Groaning of Creation

I've been reflecting on Paul's vision of a groaning creation with a Lenten group at church in the past weeks (Romans 8.18–25). I hadn't thought of it before in connection with Holy Week, but this year the link seems inescapable. The groans of fellow human and non-human creatures have never sounded louder to me.

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