God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

— John 3:16

Notice that God loves this whole, great big world. He doesn’t just love only a few people—or even all people—but the whole world. That includes all creation. Wow, that’s a big love!

All of nature is God’s, and God loves all of it. True, we humans are the capstone of creation, but we are still very much a part of it. All of us, and all of creation, can and should give praise to our Maker. So, for example, the flower that grows in a meadow, unseen by humans, is seen by God. And God delights in it.

God’s love, as revealed in Jesus, is the broadest, deepest, most penetrating love there has ever been. Its breadth extends to every creature God has ever made. The bear, the butterfly, and the amoeba all celebrate God’s love, praising their Maker by doing what they are created to do.

God loves the whole world, and he sent Jesus to redeem all of it. As the crown of God’s creation, we must love it too. How can we do that? By treating the world as an object of our love, by saving the scarce flora and fauna that God put here, and by nurturing rather than destroying the world. God’s love is BIG. Our love needs to be like his.

Jesus, you love the whole, big, world. Help us to love it too. Help us to care for it and protect it. Help us to share your love within it. Amen.