It began with an explosion that no one heard. It was the start said German priest, astronomer and physics professor, Georges Lemaitre in 1927. It was the creation said the bible. Dust, particles and chemicals swirled and coalesced in wind storms as the void expanded from a single atom until it was impossible to see the end or the beginning. A multitude of galaxies with stars, planets and moons were formed including the planet I stand on now.
Over the course of millions of years, mountains and seas were created, minerals deposited, and land became fertile on planet earth.
Trees grew tall, flowers bloomed and plants produced nuts, berries, fruit, tubers and green leaves in abundance, making it possible to support organisms on land and not only in the sea.
Creatures of every type covered the earth and multiplied. Animals joined the plants to pave the way for human beings to evolve by providing what was needed to nourish, clothe, and shelter them.
Men, women, children evolved to stand upright, walk on two feet, and hold tools with their hands. Their presence was but a whisper on the land for they dwelled in caves, followed the herds and left little behind. They prospered as the years went by, multiplied, and spread over the globe.
They searched for meat, learned to farm and with the aid of boats and beasts, traveled by land and sea. There were more of them. They saw more and wanted more.
Seeking unoccupied land and hunting grounds they trekked from Asia across the Bering Straits, then south, spreading their seed throughout a new land.
Years later they were met by wagon trains rumbling through from the east filled with loggers and settlers determined to farm their land and tame their wilderness. They cut down the trees.
Others built dwellings in jungles, finding medicinal plants that let them live longer and allowed them to multiply again and again. They cut down the trees.
Yes, they cut down more trees and replaced them with towering structures in grand cities filled with apartment houses, stores and entertainment centers.
The wealthy erected mega-mansions in suburbs with garages large enough for the two and three cars needed to transport them to centers of industry, finance and law.
There came a divide between the haves and have-nots. Those with wealth stayed locked inside giant carved gates where they were surrounded by greenery, inspiration, and like minded neighbors, while “the others” were relegated to barren lands, broken down buildings and hard concrete sidewalks, not knowing a way to climb over the fence.
And still the population grew, demanding more power for their homes, greater warmth for their businesses, and the ability to operate their automobiles and machinery faster and for longer periods of time.
The temperature got warmer, fires burned forests, trees died, houses collapsed. It became harder to breathe, difficult to see crisp hillsides and mountains through the thick haze. Hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods were more violent. Asthma increased and children became ill.
Trash was thrown in the streets, waste spilled into streams. Fish numbers declined. Those living wild in the ocean ingested mercury, drinking water had to be filtered and treated. To feed earth’s people, animals were herded into pens and fed hormones to make them fat. The ground was drench with fertilizers and insecticides affecting everyone’s health.
Birds decreased in numbers, leaving one where before there were flocks. Young men and women fought in wars over water, land, oil and mineral rights. Hundreds of thousands died.
Then. . . while people were sleeping, there was another bang, a gigantic explosion that no-one heard. It flared up from a virus multiplying faster than they, making them sick while the earth became bright. Those who paid attention were reminded what it was like to breathe in clean air, see fish through sparkling waters, and highways uncluttered by trash. They smelled the perfume of the flowers, marveling at their vibrant colors. They were calmed by the quiet, felt safe with less crime, and had fewer accidents.
And. . . it dawned on them that it was their job to care for the earth.
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