This is the story

of humans and the bees.

One that is interconnected

and co-creaturely.

Bees have shaped our cultures

from monks to cartoons.

They have shaped human language

from spelling bees to honeymoons.

Bees help us grow food,

and they help us heal.

They help with so much,

that it doesn't seem real.

Bees help make fruit, veggies

and supply hay for cows.

By pollinating these plants,

the bees do much more than browse.

Could you imagine what it might look like

if the bees went away?

Turn the page and take a look

at the food we can still eat today!

Here is the food we still have with Bees.

And here's what it looks like if the bees ever leave.

So the bees are in trouble,

many hives, silent and bare.

Will the way of the bee

be a road we will share?

We are making them vanish

by growing single crops with pesticides.

We are overworking the bees.

Without rest, they likely won't survive.

We are taking away their homes

when we remove their shrubbery.

So that we can sell even more

and cause our wallets to be blubbery.

For we have created a system

that focuses only on the "money"

with little regard for anything else,

Its not only about the honey!

So how do we help the bees?

How do we keep them protected?

We need to think theologically

and start acting like we're connected.

We need to begin,

with a theology that rubs in,

that God will redeem all things.

And thus since we've been tasked,

although hard for us to grasp,

we can't do what we want like kings.

We need to reflect on our ignorance,

our “Ecological Amnesia,”

our sheltered life free from reality.

And reclaim some of our past,

and appreciate the agricultural craft

and live a life filled with morality.

In our effort to do well,

we have done worse,

for we think our decisions about crops do not matter.

We live a fairy tale life,

and have forgotten what is right.

We are causing the bee life to shatter.

For we are not conquerors of the land,

but stewards of this place,

and like Noah, we are tasked with preserving.

We need to be accountable and aware

of how to manage present and future cares

in a balanced and safe way thats conserving.