Preserving creation

The Ouachita National Recreation Trail is a public asset offering natural beauty and recreation, and I was deeply saddened to read William Sanders’ article about timber cutting in Roland, describing the willful destruction of trees near the trail, seemingly to enhance an individual homeowner’s view of Pinnacle Mountain.

While picturesque home windowscapes can unquestionably inspire souls, nature is a sacred trust to be treated with reverence and respect. I understand the homeowner is a best-selling Christian author, and I would encourage him to explore the work of the Evangelical Environmental Network and consider practicing Christian environmental stewardship.

This is a wake-up call to us all to strengthen our sacred trust to respect creation and our national trust to preserve natural spaces, including our amazing national trails, parks, and forests. How blessed we are to have places of natural beauty, sacred spaces that inspire and heal. May we all use this tragic episode as an opportunity to expand our creation care, even to the trees. As the Psalmist so eloquently articulated in Psalm 96, “Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy.”

Personally, I would love to have a grand view of Pinnacle Mountain from my home; this is the spot where my husband and I married 35 years ago. However, the Ouachita National Recreation Trail is a shared national treasure, and it is ours to ensure that “all the trees of the forest sing for joy.” I have only just learned of the Friends of the Ouachita Trail, but this seems a perfect time to support a group committed to maintaining, enhancing, and preserving the Ouachita National Recreation Trail.

AMANDA MOORE

Conway