Conversations with S. - God, love, freedom, evil, suffering

Well, folks, the other day S. and I were sharing a muffin, sitting outside on a humid Spring day, pondering stuff. As often happens with us, the conversation drifted into the topic of God, the universe, creation...considering such questions as: Is God good? Why do we struggle so much to believe this? Is God really love? What does that love look like? Both of us have had experiences that we've had to dub supernatural, and were discussiong what they could mean. I have chosen, for reasons I like to think are "reasonable" (hence the term:-), to believe the Christian version of these experiences. My friend is not sure that any religious tradition really captures the essence of what she has experienced - but it has grounded her through the years with incontrovertable evidence of the existence of love - personal, light, accepting and unconditional. The truly challenging part came when we tried to reconcile the evil in the world with this idea of a loving omniscient presence. I offered her my take on things - namely, that love requires freedom, so, if love is the foundational spiritual truth, then it necessitates free will. A will fully free to choose to acknowledge, accept and return the divine lovers' love, or to turn away from it. My friend added that if this is the case, then God has chosen to suffer with suffering mankind rather than undo the premise upon which God's essence is founded - love and the freedom it requires. What do you think?

Were earthworms on the ark?

Here I thought I was doing a good thing, getting involved in vermiculture, recycling my organic wastes, keeping plastics out of landfill...BUT, and here's the rub, my red wigglers may be an INVASIVE SPECIES! The word at the Farmers' Martket is that earthworms along with all other topsoil were scraped off the face of North America clear on down to the southern states at the last great ice age AND that since they only travel very short distances, they were missing from the species list when the first European settlers came to Canada. Consequently, or so my informant claims, all current species in Canada are European invaders!!! Including my little Eisenia feotida - maybe. The impact of these surface, manure worms could be potentially damaging to our northern forests which depend on at least three deep layers of old leaves to help keep the moisture in the soil. Having not had the opportunity to adapt to the worms, the trees could be in peril. So - I must pursue these alarming possibilities...

http://www.wormdigest.org/content/view/462/2/
http://www.wormdigest.org/content/view/200/2/ - yes Eisenia feotida IS an invader, along with 17 other species, only two are actually native to Ontario. Introduced through commercial cultivation, E. feotida is now found in the wild and was brought in by European settlers a century or two ago. Localized for the most part around human settlements.
http://www.wormdigest.org/content/view/129/2/ E. feotida are indigenous to Australia
http://www.wormdigest.org/content/view/398/2/ A history of the great worm invasions: "The invasion in the investigated aspen forest by mineral soil dwelling earthworm species presumably is slow due to the climatic restrictions on growth, reproduction and activity of these species. However, this study indicates that earthworm invasions can have dramatic impacts on vegetation, soil microarthropods, microorganisms and soil chemistry"
What about worms in compost piles?
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/terrestrialanimals/earthworms/index.html Lists damage done to forested areas by invasive worm species in Minnesota - "If you are concerned about spreading non-native worms with your compost, you can kill worms and their eggs by freezing the compost for at least 1 week."
http://www.nrri.umn.edu/worms/ Minnesota Worm Watch site
http://www.naturewatch.ca/english/wormwatch/ Canadian Worm Watch

Welcome

Welcome, Welcome, one and all
To this wondrous new port of call
I begin with trepidation
Worried some re: reputation
Within this Brave New World