Cosmopolitan

So God created humanity in their image, in the image of God they created them; male and female they created them. God blessed them and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill Earth and subdue it; and have dominion with the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon Earth. ~ Genesis 1:27-28

There are two dozen bird species that are considered cosmopolitan. That sounds rather posh doesn’t? Well, of the over 175 cosmopolitan species on the planet, the most cosmopolitan of them all is homo sapiens. So perhaps cosmopolitan doesn’t mean what you might have been thinking. Cosmopolitan distribution is the range of a taxon that extends across most or all of the surface of the Earth, in appropriate habitats. A taxon is a group of organisms that are regarded as a unit, such as two species that hybridize or races and morphs of a species, etc. Humans in all our variety of forms inhabit every continent of the planet, including non-permanent residence in Antarctica. No other species has been as successful at exploiting the conditions of earth to meet their needs. And therein lies the difference, we have used our brains to develop tools and technology to battle the elements much more than we have used cunning and wit to fit into the environment.

Our more-than-human kin have been much more agile at adaptation. The fact that birds don’t need raincoats or parkas, just the same set of feathers winter or summer should cause no end of marveling by us. We simply think our way through a work around. Still, the idea that there are some of “us” everywhere possible, should engendered a strong sense of kinship. We often think of all the far-flung folks of the world as our human family, as we should. But if we also consider the much gentler footprint (and pawprint and rootprint) of our more-than-human kin who have found ways to populate without over-consumption and destruction, we might begin to expand our concept of kinship.

When we realize that we aren’t the only creatures to find a home anywhere on this planet, we can expand the family to include our fellow explorers. Then once we have accepted our cosmopolitan kin as part of this group, we might begin imagining that we shouldn’t be seeking to be in exclusive clubs. In fact, once we turn the corner of inclusion, we can see that every creature is constantly offering the gift of their being in reciprocity. Whatever level of understanding they possess, I’m confident that they understand that they and we are kin. In the end, survival depends on it.

Prayer: Great Parent of all life, show us how our uniqueness fits us in, making us kin. When we think we need walls, help us build tables. Amen.