Message: The Cry of the Land /Jeremiah 4:11‒12, 22‒28

Rachel Carson was one of the most influential people of the 20th century. She was an American marine biologist and writer, and through her voice, she helped people around the world understand the importance of caring for creation. 

One of her most important works was Silent Spring, published in 1962. The first chapter, called “A Fable for Tomorrow,” opens with a picture of a beautiful and peaceful town. People lived close to the land and in harmony with it. The whole place was full of life. Wildflowers bloomed, birds sang, rivers teemed with fish, and animals moved through forests and hills. In spring, the fields turned green, ready for planting. In autumn, the oak, maple, and birch trees glowed with bright colours, marking the harvest season.

Then everything changed. A shadow of death fell over the town. Chickens, pigs, and sheep grew sick and died. Bees vanished, so the apple trees bore no fruit. The river held no fish. People became ill. And the birds were gone. The robins, catbirds, doves, jays, and wrens were silent. It was a spring without voices. What had once been full of life had become a desolation.

Carson began her book with this illustration to warn about the careless use of chemicals. She stressed that if people continue to use chemicals without care, the result could be a silent spring. She focused especially on a chemical called DDT, which many once believed was completely safe. 

She explained how toxic chemicals can accumulate in animals and us. Imagine a pesticide falling into a pond. Tiny insects take it in without knowing the danger. Fish eat the insects, and then birds or even people eat the fish. At each step, the poison grows stronger because it accumulates, passing along from one living creature to the next. Something that seemed small and harmless at first becomes a serious danger to all life connected to it.

The point was not that pesticides should never be used. When used carefully and in the right amounts, they do not cause serious problems because nature can break down the chemicals and restore balance over time. The real danger comes when chemicals are used carelessly for the sake of profit. When money is valued more than creation, all living things are put at risk. For this reason, Carson challenged companies and governments to do honest research and to think carefully before introducing new products into the world.

When Silent Spring was published, the reaction was huge. Many people were shocked and wanted change. Some chemical companies were angry and attacked Carson, saying she was wrong. Over time, her work was proven right. DDT was banned in many places, and new regulations were created to protect the land, water, and air. Her message went beyond one chemical. She helped us see a deep truth: our actions have consequences, but there is hope when we choose to change.

Today’s first reading is like the opening chapter of Silent Spring. In the book of Jeremiah, a loud alarm sounds. He warns of a terrible disaster if the people refuse the ways of love and justice. He says, “They are skilled in doing evil, but do not know how to do good.” 

The people lived under a false peace. The strong oppressed the weak. Those in power seized land. Judges took bribes and ruled unjustly. The poor, orphans, widows, and strangers were exploited. It was a time of violence and cruelty.

Above all, the harm from their injustice did not stop with them alone. As today’s reading shows, human wrongdoing can bring the whole world to crisis. Jeremiah says, “I looked on the earth, and lo, it was waste and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light. I looked on the mountains, and lo, they were quaking, and all the hills moved to and fro. I looked, and lo, there was no one at all, and all the birds of the air had fled. I looked, and lo, the fruitful land was a desert, and all its cities were laid in ruins before the LORD, before his fierce anger.”

Despite his warning, the people did not turn from their wrong ways. Eventually, his words came true. Babylon came. The city fell. Many were taken away. The exile began. The harm was not only to them. Fields, gardens, and orchards were also destroyed. Human injustice does not stop at the edge of society. It spills over into the land.

The goal of a prophecy about punishment is not for the punishment to happen, but to wake people up and help them turn back to God. Think of the story of Jonah. God sent Jonah to Nineveh with a message that in forty days the city would be destroyed. But when the people repented and turned back to God, the destruction never came. Jonah’s prophecy was fulfilled in the best possible way because it did not happen. A warning from God is like the final bell at a train station. It rings to wake us up and gives us one last chance to get on board before the train leaves. In this way, when a prophecy of judgment does not come true, it shows that the message has done its work.

Our faith in creation is not about the scientific explanation of how the universe began. When we say that God created the world, we are saying that everything has a divine purpose and that nothing is worthless. When we call God our Creator, we are choosing to live out God’s love and justice toward every living being on this earth. We believe that God calls us to care for the world, just as the Bible teaches us.

Today, many people and creatures are experiencing serious environmental problems. One of the biggest challenges is climate change. Greenhouse gases are rising, and the Earth is getting hotter. Canada is not spared. Wildfires are happening more often and burning more strongly. The smoke travels far, putting our health and safety at risk. We see more extreme weather: floods, heavy rain, heat waves, strong winds, and strange winters that are harder to predict. This year, many places faced drought, which hurt crops and animals. It also reduced hydro power, making electricity less reliable. For example, Manitoba Hydro lost $157 million because of drought.

In Canada’s Arctic and North, the changes are even bigger. Frozen ground is melting. Sea ice is thinner and smaller, making hunting and travel routes unsafe and upsetting sea life. With less ice and softer ground, coastlines are washing away, and homes and community buildings are being damaged. These problems affect Indigenous Peoples the most because their food, travel, and culture depend on the land and ice.

Yet we still hear a voice of hope. Through Jeremiah, God says, “The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end” (4:27). Even the warning itself shows that hope remains. Where there is no hope, prophets would have no words. The fact that we are still hearing warnings about climate change shows that there is still something we can do.

God calls us today to be people who listen to the cry of the land. We are called to pray for creation and to take action to care for it. Across our denomination, the United Church of Canada has set a bold goal: to reduce carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2030. The church is putting this goal into action through Faithful Footprints, helping congregations improve their buildings with simple steps like LED lighting, better insulation, heat pumps, and solar panels where possible. Many congregations are also moving church investments away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy and energy efficiency.

The United Church also provides worship and learning resources so that care for creation shapes both our faith and our daily choices. It works with partners to speak up for better climate policies and a fair transition for workers and communities. In our own congregation, we can take part in this mission through simple changes that save energy, lower costs, and care for our neighbours and the land. This is how we live out hope today.

Let us open our hearts to hear the cry of the land and all living creatures. Let us take steps that bring life and hope to our communities and to the earth. May God guide us, give us courage, and keep us steady as we care for creation together.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

Rev. Min Hwang