Enough: Lent DevotionalsNäide

ENOUGH: DIVINE DIRT

“Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7)

Our culture does its best to avoid dirt. We live in the most sanitized civilization in history, and I wonder if we are poorer for it.

In the Genesis story, God forms the first human out of dirt. The name Adam (man in Hebrew) is from “adamah”, meaning ground. The organic matter in soil, “humus”, has the same linguistic root as “human”, both from a word meaning earth.

We are intrinsically linked to the ground beneath our feet – we depend on it for our survival: we need food to live, and food needs soil to grow. Yet the modern world is doing its best to sever this link.

Think of the last meal you had. Where did it come from? Not the shop or restaurant – where was the food actually grown? Most of us probably don’t know.

The ground is sacred, and shouldn’t be taken for granted. Let’s remind ourselves of the precious gifts that God has given us, and recommit ourselves to protecting them.

Father God, thank You for the food that nourishes us, and for the soil that enables it to grow. Help us to not take these for granted. We lift up those who do not enjoy the abundance that we have, and we pray for Your provision for them. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Gideon Heugh, Tearfund