Save the Worms

Let us assume that there was an ecological crisis, which threatened the global population of earthworms. Acid rain polluting the groundwater, oil drilling in Alaska, or mad cow disease has affected them at a cellular level. The DNA of earthworms has been altered, making it impossible for them to survive unless quick action is taken. What would you do to help?

Would you write a check? If so, how large? How important would it be to you if a species of life God created was about to be obliterated from the planet?

What if the only way the worms could be saved was if you experienced a real dent in your standard of living, if perhaps you would have to give up television one night a week - forever?

What if you had to give blood to save the worms, or perhaps an organ like a lung or kidney, would you do it?

What if, for some reason, the only way to save the worms would be if you gave your life?

What if God himself asked you to do it?

I have another question: What did Jesus do for us?

Isn't the distance between creature and creator essentially farther than distance between creature and creature? And the crisis we are in we bring upon ourselves. Furthermore, Jesus didn't just die for us, be became us, then allowed us to kill him, (Philippians 2.6). He did this because of love (John 3.16). Because, unlike worms, we have souls, the great gift of the breath of God in us that we have all squandered. He loved us and our souls were lost. So Jesus intervened.

Lest we forget how amazing John 3.16 is, let us occasionally ask ourselves, "What would I do to save the worms?"

- Barry Bryson