Our Resurrection faith tells us that the light of God shines in the darkness and that the darkness shall not overcome it. The stories of the Easter Vigil remind us that God is always with us. The covenant after the flood secures God’s commitment to humankind and to all creation, even if humanity drifts away from God’s love. The parting of the seas gives us confidence that God will be with us even if we are frightened and running for our lives.

For too many years, I imagined that this retelling of our faith journey was a story only about us, the people of God. But what if this is also a story about all God’s beloved creation, a story about all the creatures that were created and that have evolved over eons? What if the faith journey of the Easter Vigil is not only about the salvation of humankind, but also about the salvation of God’s entire created order?