I think it’s important that before anything, we look at the irony between today’s readings and the Lenten energy challenge we are faced with this week. Today’s reading is one of my favorites from Exodus. In this classic story, like many of us amidst this busy Winter Quarter, Moses is just doing his thing when all of the sudden, an angel of the Lord appears to him in the form of a bush on fire. I can only imagine how Moses felt when this happened, and how I would react if I were in his Birkenstocks however many years ago. Just the impact and energy alone of a bush raging on fire would have stunned me, let alone the fact that it was God Himself appearing to Moses. Just as there is so much energy in our world today--lights, technology, and all of the things we use so consistently--there was infinitely more energy and power in this encounter between God and Moses. I think it’s so important to look at the congruency and similarities here between the energy and power of this encounter between God and Moses and the energy we are attempting to save during this Lenten energy challenge.

Speaking for myself, I know at times it’s hard for me to find the overlap between energy conservation and my faith. However, upon further reflection of the Jesuit values of finding God in all things and Pope Francis’ encyclical ‘Laudato Sí’ on caring for God’s creation, I have come to realize that the Spirit of the Living God is most tangibly felt in His creation here on Earth. When God appears to Moses in the burning bush, He did what I feel like I, along with many of you, pray and ask Him to do every day in our lives: He showed up in a real and tangible way to point Moses towards where He wanted Moses to go according to the wondrous plans God had for both Moses and God’s people. God channeled His great and immense power and energy to communicate His message to Moses, and to improve the lives of His people. More importantly, He showed up in Moses’ life. Though not always obviously in a burning bush, God is consistently showing up in our lives, especially through His creation amongst us here on Earth.

God created to live in harmony with His creation, and has gifted us with many amazing resources and organisms. We are so blessed to be able to encounter the living God in His creation; we have the responsibility to conserve energy and His creation so as to preserve this amazing paradise for our brothers and sisters in Christ for generations to come. As the Lord commissioned Moses through the burning bush, we are also tasked by God to take care of His creation and preserve the resources we are given for others. We all share in one world, and it is so important to remember the impact that we each have as individual sharers of our planet.

I encourage you all to think about the impact your actions have on the lives of others. Think first before you utilize an energy resource that someone else could benefit from or that could possibly harm our Earth. Unplug that phone charger that’s not even connected to your phone. Turn off the lights in the room you’re not in. Instead, bask in God's abundant light and grace, and be attentive to the energy and power that God is constantly pouring into our hearts and lives through His people and creation.