"WORKING WITH THE WORMS”

“WORKING WITH THE WORMS: A BIBLICO-THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION”

Rev. Jeric C. Cortado, June 1, 2016

The term “worms” refers to the earthworm. In Cebuano dialect it is called Wati. (Cebuano dialect is dominantly used in Visayas and major cities in Mindanao). According to the experts, there are three types of earthworms, one is called “Anecic”, an earthworm that comes to the surface at night to drag food down in their permanent holes. Second is called “Endogeic”, a worm feed on the organic matter already in the soil and comes to surface in a rate circumstances. And the third is called “Epigeic” who lives in the surface brood and feed on decaying organic matter, and do not have a permanent tunnel. This type of earthworm is also known as the decomposers and it is used in vermicomposting. The earthworm is also called the transformer, a species that sustains the earth to its fertility by producing organic fertilizers and transforming wastes into a life producing nutrients and elements. According to the study, the soil that has the presence of an earthworm is more fertile than the soil enriched by chemical fertilizers.

The earthworms and their existence are precious and important to our life and survival. As part of the natural world, they are God’s creation that needs to be valued not because they are useful to us as human beings but because they are our companions toward the fullness of life.     

In Isaiah (chapter 41:14-16), worms or earthworms refers to the Indigenous People of Israel.

“People of Israel, don’t worry though others may say, ‘Israel is only a worm!’ I am the holy God of Israel, who saves and protects you. I will let you be like a log covered with sharp spikes. You will grind and crush every mountain and hill until they turn to dust. A strong wind will scatter them in all directions. Then you will celebrate and praise me, your Lord, the holy God of Israel.” (Contemporary English Version of the Bible)

The term earthworm here refers to the poor, oppressed, marginalized, exploited, and deprived (pomed) people conquered by the ruthless Babylonian Empire. Under the Babylonian captivity, the people of Israel live in the reality of homelessness, uprooted from their lands and experienced radical dislocation from their culture and spirituality. They were forced to migrate in a foreign land and threatened to erase their own sense of identity as indigenous people of Israel.  

In verse 14, God said, “I am the Holy God of Israel, who saves and protects you” or in the New International Version it is stated, “I myself will help you,” describing God who took the initiative to enable the pomed struggle for liberation. Set them free to express and determine themselves in the Lord (v.16) and will become bringer of hope and vitality to all. Furthermore, living a life in its fullness, making all creatures dynamic for the welfare of everybody and treasures the spirituality of interconnectedness to one another. These (in chapter 41, verses 8-10) considered earthworms by the ruling elite re-affirmed their status as chosen people of God being identified with the pomeds (poor, oppressed, marginalized, exploited, deprived but struggling people) rather than with the conquerors and the royalty. They were transformed to transform what is considered wastes in the sight of God to become organic fertilizers that inspire and nurtures life to its fullness. God empowered these pomeds to topple down the exploitative and oppressive empire and established a new structure with a new breed of leadership.

Working with the worms in this point is an advocacy of working hand in hand with the pomeds as like what the prophets and Jesus did. We have to remember that Jesus Christ was being raised from and with the considered earthworms of his time. In Luke 4: 18-19, Jesus clarified that he was sent to work with the considered earthworm to “preach good news to the poor, proclaim freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor or the day of the Lord”.  In doing his mission and ministry, Jesus was also considered a worm because of his Christic (liberating) initiatives. He was despised, rejected and humiliated. Working with worms is working with Jesus our Christ who taught us that the people’s welfare and well-being always comes first. Thus, the person is more important than law, tradition, institution, hierarchy, structure or system as he expressed in Mark 3:1-6. And we are not a property of anyone but we belong to God who created us out of the earth.

Working with the worms is integral to theological instruction that reminds us to the core of our existence as created out of the earth nourished and fertilized by the earthworm. As created out of the earth and as in the image of God, by nature we are living the spirituality of the earthworm which loves the earth by cultivating, nourishing, and enriching the land. Living the spirituality that has deep relationship with God, with fellow human beings, and with the land in which our sources of livelihood is rooted from.

Thus working with the worm is a kind of spirituality that leads to develop church and community development workers which is competent in the rural life, community development and environmental justice ministries; provides venue or learning opportunities on vermiculture, vermicomposting system, sustainable agriculture, and entrepreneurship which can be a potential source to support the evangelism and mission work of the church;  and produce materials or training module on geo-theology and environmental justice, rural life and community development ministries which would be a great contribution in addressing the issues of climate change, environmental degradation, and food security. Amen.

Reference:

1.        (2012) In the Image of God….We are Created: Reflections and Perspectives on Human Rights. Philippines: NCCP.

2.        Capulong, Noriel C. (2009) Reading and Hearing the Old Testament in the Philippine Context. Vol. 2: From the Seventh-Century Prophets to Daniel. Philippines: New Days Publishers and Siliman University.

3.        Gottwald Norman K, & Horsley, Richard A. (eds.). (1993) The Bible and Liberation: Political and Social Hermeneutics. Revised Edition. USA: Orbis Books.

4.        http://www.bibleline.org/earthworm.htm