Recreating Black Friday

The Friday after Thanksgiving I plan to start a new tradition. One that is not embedded in shopping lists and deep discounts but instead a tradition that gets me and my kids outside to celebrate God’s good creation.

We won’t make it to majestic mountains or spectacular seasides. Instead we will stick to the creation found in our neighborhood and nearby parks. We will still have amazing discoveries — like uncovering seed pods that look just like pumpkins or rocks shaped like superheros. I will make sure to carry a backpack loaded with water bottles and snacks for the trail. But, most importantly we will take time together to relish the beauty and bounty of God’s created world.

What better way to appreciate all that we have been given than by getting outside? This is in line with religious teachings that not only advocate for a posture of gratitude but also call for us to experience the sacred in the outdoors.

I was heartened to see organizations such as REI close for Black Friday and encourage employees and would be customers to instead #optoutside. What better way to appreciate the bounty of the natural world and connect with the creator?

To prepare for my new Black Friday tradition, I decided to take my two small children on a practice hike. I donned my backpack stocked with snacks and we headed to a nearby nature area along the Chesapeake Bay. Once outside they ran up the trail in spurts — at once thrilled by the adventure and freedom and mesmerized by the variety of natural treasures they found along the way. It was a reminder to me of the sheer wonder of the natural world found in nearby places with its variety and abundance of creatures and plants.

It is this tapestry of diversity that we are not only called to protect, but to enjoy. In scripture, we learn that God put us in the garden to “till it and keep it” and this is the basis for our call to be responsible stewards of the gifts that God has given us. In one of my favorite parts of the Bible, Noah is instructed by God to save two of each kind of creature and place them on an ark to protect them from a great flood. God’s instructions are clear: one of each kind, not just the ones Noah fancied or found useful.

We must ensure that we take care of the whole creation so that we honor God but also preserve natural spaces for respite and communion with God. We are not the only creatures that depend on the natural world. Our animal neighbors rely on a clean and healthy environment to survive and we have been gifted with the capabilities to influence protection of habitat and species.

We should protect valuable policy tools like the Endangered Species Act and the Land and Water Conservation Fund that enable us to be good stewards of God’s creation. We have these laws to thank for our populations of bald eagles and peregrine falcons and other recovered species.

Christians across the nation champion the conservation of habitat and species and many look for regular times to connect with the sacred outside. We have been given the capabilities to protect or destroy, and by preserving the habitats of our fellow creatures we are being the stewards God calls us to be.

We need leaders today that understand the importance of species preservation and land protection. When one of God’s creations becomes extinct it, is gone forever.

On my practice hike with the kids, we stopped halfway through when we reached a fork in the trail. “Let’s pray,” I said. My four year old daughter dove right in, “Thank you God for the sticks and bugs and flowers.” Amen.

On the day after Thanksgiving we should all stop and appreciate the wonderful creation that God has provided and work hard to protect it. As a Christian, this is the best preparation one can have for the upcoming Christmas season. One of gratitude that focuses on relationship and the gifts of creation.

I look forward to my new Creation Friday tradition as I #optoutside.