Sharing God's Creation with all people

In summer many of us escape to the beaches, mountains and lakes. Time off there refreshes but also serves a deeper, soul-satisfying purpose. We stop and look upon the world that God has made. We see that it is good. In recreation we are re-created.

Lake George , for instance, is a popular destination. This blue lagoon, 32 miles long, sits nested among the Adirondack mountains . The waters are clear and clean. There are 109 miles of shoreline, which seems plenty to go around.

On the east side, largely undeveloped, a road leads up to Pilot Knob. And there, the residents of Ft. Anne have about 250 feet of beach to call their own. It is a narrow strip of sand between the road and water. On a recent sunny Sunday afternoon, a small crowd of about 60 people spilled onto the pavement.

They may have been having fun, but it was a painful scene since so many miles upon miles of the lakeside are occupied by often-empty vacation homes and private waterfronts. Certainly we could spare more for the common citizen.

Granted there are other town and public beaches but these are still dwarfed by private property. Not that there's anything (completely) wrong with that. The revolutionary cry that "property is theft" is not always correct.

At the same time, private property often crowds out the common good. This is especially evident in vacation areas. Empty estates sit next to crowded state campgrounds; "no trespassing" signs dot waterfronts; and local residents or visitors smush themselves into what's left over.

Yet we all have the God-given right to nature. "The goods of creation are destined for the entire human race," the Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us. "The right to private property does not abolish the universal destination of goods."

Confronted with situations as the tiny town beach, we can easily ignore the issue or assume nothing can be done. Wrong. The Catechism stipulates that, "the goods created by God for everyone should in fact reach everyone in accordance with justice and with the help of charity."

What to do? Though there may be more pressing social issues, Catholics should demand good and better public parks, beaches and general access to nature.

One problem, these days, is getting there. In past years, even city dwellers could often take a train or trolley to a spot in the countryside. Today, you generally need a car to get out of town. Those without cars, don't. Higher gas prices plus admission fees make that trip harder for many. Thankfully, the Capital District Transportation Authority runs special buses to Grafton State Park and offers a discount summer swiper card for youths.

Let's have more of that. As interest in mass transit grows, let's create lines that connect low-income neighborhoods and public parks and beaches.  On a local level, we can push for better parks in our cities, more pools and other recreation.

In the Catholic spirit of subsidiarity, we can invite neighbors or their children along with us. Or at least point out to those in need what's available at no or little cost. After all, God gave us the whole universe for free. Each of us can help swing open the door onto Creation for the least among us.

(08/07/08)

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