In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth,
God said: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,
the birds of the air, and the cattle,
and over all the wild animals
and all the creatures that crawl on the ground."
God created man in his image;
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
God blessed them, saying:
"Be fertile and multiply;
fill the earth and subdue it.
Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air,
and all the living things that move on the earth."
God also said:
"See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth
and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food;
and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air,
and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground,
I give all the green plants for food."
And so it happened.
God looked at everything he had made, and found it very good.

At present, the idea that we have "dominion" over anything at all rings somewhat hollow. Have we indeed subdued the earth? Or have we nearly damaged it beyond all recognition, leaving us vulnerable to the deadly quirks of creation that were waiting for us outside of Eden? That everything God made was good did not meant that it was also invulnerable. May we learn once again, in the midst of this threatening time, what responsibilities came with the gifts that God has given us. As there was a garden at the beginning of the story, so there is, in the Resurrection of Christ, the promise of a garden at the end of it.