The Bloodline of God

One of the most beautiful plants I have ever grown is Swiss chard, which produces ruffled green leaves traversed by bright red, orange, or yellow veins. These striking leaves are a visible sign that, as Kaitlin Curtice says, “The bloodline of God is connected to everything.”

Because God is the Creator of everything that exists, it stands to reason that everything contains God’s bloodline—the source of life that can be traced to God. This bloodline is manifested not necessarily as a physical substance but as God’s Spirit or energy that exists in everything that has being. Although it is said “You can’t get blood from a stone,” even stones contain energy—chemical energy in the bonds between their atoms, thermal energy when they are heated, and kinetic energy when something makes them move. Nothing that exists is not connected to God, whether or not awareness of that connection is present. As Desiderius Erasmus observed, “Bidden or unbidden, God is present.”

If the bloodline of God is connected to everything, then everything is connected to everything else through God. Christians refer to this concept as “the Body of Christ,” and St. Paul used this analogy to show how all people are connected: “All of you together are Christ's body, and each of you is a part of it” (1 Cor 12: 27). Because of God’s creative activity, we know that it is not just humans but all of creation that is part of Christ’s body.

An understanding that the bloodline of God is connected to everything leads to an appreciation and reverence for all things. Nothing is without value; everything deserves respect. This attitude is reflected in the belief of many Native Americans that all life is sacred, and thus one should not use anything without offering thanks and remembering that we are part of the same cycle of life.

An easy way to practice this reverence is to pray before eating. We can thank the plant or animal that gave its life that we may eat. We can thank the people who raised, harvested, processed, transported, and prepared our food. We can ask that the food we eat will nourish us so we may nourish our sisters and brothers in creation. We can thank God that we are part of a world that includes Swiss chard and other beautiful reminders that through the bloodline of God we are connected to everything.