This was definitely
a week to remember! Chapter camps for the Southeast Region are held near Panama City Beach, Florida. During the first week of camp, 1990, the camp recreation centered around the 20th anniversary of Earth Day. The camp broke up into about eight teams named after ecology issues -- "Space Junk", "Ozone Holes", "Rain Forest Ruins" and the like. The teams competed in daily fun events for thousands of points and no valuable prizes.

We had the "Exxon Valdez Volley Ball Tournament." We had an "Endangered Species Egg" swimming pool relay. We had a week-long beach clean up -- every trash bag turned in by a team was worth thousands of points. One day we went down to the beach to make sand sculptures representing each team's ecological challenge. That was when we found a ten-foot-long pygmy sperm whale that had beached herself.

While some of us tried to keep her blow-hole clear and protect her from sunburn, others ran to call the local Sea World people who would know what to do. She was bleeding heavily, probably after calving at sea, and she was clearly in distress. We named her "Joanie the Whale." Several small groups of students clustered together to pray for wisdom in our efforts and for the whale's survival.

"Joanie" died several hours later at the Sea World facility despite significant effort from all those who cared for her. That evening at camp, several students shared that they were surprised by the sympathy they felt for the creature, and the rush of effort to save an animal obviously suffering. Many students expressed a need to feel more passionate about sharing the life-giving Good News with people who suffer in different ways.

Probably the most poignant lessons came from a group discussion about whether or not it had been appropriate to actually pray for the animal. Some students (mostly those who had not seen the animal!) felt that creation's creatures, from bug to whale, were not appropriate objects of this kind of concern or prayer.

It was interesting and enlightening to share Romans 8: 19-23 with the students and staff in the discussion. Creation had "groaned" in a surprising way that day on the beach. It was a wonderful reminder that redemption isn't limited to the human soul, but is promised to all of Creation.