Living by kinship, not consumption

“All creation groans.” Paul’s phrase has been ringing in my ears lately. I go back to Romans 8 and read of “creation’s futility” and Paul’s call away from a life in the flesh to a life in the Spirit. I can see why so many have read those words and thought we need to escape the want of our bodies, escape the constant pulls for power. “Let’s simply desire the love of God,” some might say, as though God’s love is a spiritual getaway.

I feel like I can hear those groans Paul talks about when I open my garage to begin some spring-cleaning and am almost toppled by piles of boxes and balled up plastic bags that never made their way back to the store. A few minutes later I give up and sit in the sun, scrolling on my phone, hovering over a new pair of shoes in my size and favorite color, rationalizing why I could click “Add to cart.”

I suspect these piles of boxes and the lure of off-white Nike Pegasuses with a green swoosh are not unrelated to the news of mass shootings, racial violence, and governmental gridlock. Add to cart. Wait for a little dollop of joy to arrive on my doorstep, and let the world melt away for a moment. And creation groans.