Variety: Romans 1v20

Ever since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities—God’s eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, because they are understood through the things God has made. —Romans 1:20 

This Scripture [from Paul] is consistent with an Indigenous worldview—that the nature of the Creator is evident in the creation. What does creation tell us about God’s divine nature?… 

Faithfulness. In the environment where I live, in the foothills of Pahto, the sacred mountain of the region, I see the faithfulness of the Creator with each season. In spite of the consistent [polluting] inputs…, each spring, life returns to the soil, trees and plants flower, and pollinators do their important work to spread the miracle of life. We humans do nothing to earn this. We do not collectively give thanks. Yet each spring returns faithfully, and with it, life. 

The interconnectedness and interdependence of the entire cosmos. The Yakama practice reverence in their spring feast, giving thanks before they go to gather. The elders instruct us: take just what you need. Leave plenty for future generations. This implies that life is interdependent; what I do has a direct impact on the lives of other creatures. Living in ways that are consistent with this basic understanding results in abundance…. 

Creation is ongoing. Creation did not occur in six days and then stop; it is an ongoing process. Reverence means demonstrating deep respect for the plants and animals required to sustain my life and the lives of my family members…. 

Mutual accountability. Reverence does not happen once per week; it is practiced each day faithfully, moment by moment. It is acknowledging that we are dependent on the systems of life, that they are not subordinate to us or to our will. 

Sarah Augustine, a Pueblo (Tewa) author and activist, identifies what we can learn from creation about the Creator: