Tikkun Olam and Caring for Creation
"No matter what our particular job, especially in our world today, we all are called to be Tikkun Olam—repairers of creation"
The Nature of Cities
I was first introduced to the concept of tikkun olam many years ago, and it resurfaced again during my time living in San Miguel de Allende on the permaculture commune. In Jewish tradition, tikkun olam means “repairing the world.” It speaks to humanity’s sacred responsibility to partner with God in restoring what is broken, to tend and to heal, to leave this world more whole than we found it.
Local forest folk
From the very beginning of Scripture, God gave us the task of stewardship. Genesis 2:15 tells us that humanity was placed in the garden “to work it and take care of it.” This is not ownership, but guardianship. Creation itself is God’s handiwork—“the earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it” (Psalm 24:1)—and we are entrusted with its care.
At Forest Church, we often speak about the unforced rhythms of grace we learn from the forest, the mountains, and the streams. But honoring creation requires more than poetic reflection; it calls us into embodied practices of care.
The way we treat the earth is deeply connected to the way we treat our own bodies and each other. When we restore the land, we participate in God’s healing work.
A Gathering for Creation Care
On Sunday, September 28th,2025, our Forest Church gathering will be devoted to this sacred act of tikkun olam. Together, we will spend time in stillness and prayer beneath the canopy of trees, listening for God’s voice in creation. And then, with hands and hearts engaged, we will practice creation care in a tangible way: picking up trash from the forest. Registration required.
This simple yet profound act becomes a spiritual practice—a liturgy of restoration. Each piece of debris removed is a gesture of love toward the land, an act of repentance for the ways humanity has neglected our role as caretakers, and a symbol of the kingdom of God breaking through in small but real ways.
As we carry bags of collected waste out of the forest, we’ll be reminded of the truth that healing is always both mystical and practical. God invites us not only to contemplate beauty but to safeguard it, to mend what has been torn, to participate in the holy work of repair.
The false summit of Mount Shavano
An Invitation
If your soul is longing for a way to reconnect with God, with creation, and with a community of seekers, join us for this special Forest Church. Come ready to pray, to walk gently, and to get your hands a little dirty for the sake of the earth we’ve been entrusted to love.
Together, we will live into tikkun olam—repairing the world, one small act of care at a time.
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The way we treat the earth is deeply connected to the way we treat our own bodies and each other. When we restore the land, we participate in God’s healing work.