Make Space for the Diversity of Life - Connecting to Genesis

The creation as a whole has its own integrity and holiness, and so too does each species. Creation as a whole is an expression of God's will and being, or in the terms of Kabbalah, of God's names; each creature is a permutation of the expression of Divine will, something good-in-itself. The goodness of the whole of creation emerges from the goodness all of these creatures, but it is something much more. Maimonides says, "About the whole, it says, 'And God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good.'"

Today, we are concerned not just with the miracle of the renewal of creation as a whole, but with the miracle of renewal of each species, each community, each habitat and each ecosystem. We know that the struggle of life to resist death is what leads to the generation and renewal of species. The death of extinction, brought by human hands, ends the cycle of life and death, the miracle of renewal. As Maimonides recognizes, the goodness of creation will continue, whatever happens to us and to the creatures that are affected by our actions. The extraordinary diversity, complexity, and beauty which is part of our world, however, is something we can destroy. For better and for worse, the miracle is now placed in our hands, and it is up to us to keep the "light returning" to its source.

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