Psalm 148 Apocalypse: A contribution to the debate on whether humans should be doing anything about what they have been doing
'And they said, 'We shall be as gods.'
The Lord is praised by the heavens and the heights
Men destroy their ceiling of safety
The Lord is praised by the sun and moon and shining stars
Men seed their skies with mavericks.
The Lord commanded and they were created
Men command, and they are destroyed.
The Lord established them for ever and ever
Men destabilise time
The Lord fixed their bounds and men uncompass them.
The Lord was praised from the earth
Men turn it to deserts and salt
The Lord was praised by the sea monsters and all deeps
Men trawl them to extinction
Fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind
Men change the climate with their pollutions.
Mountains and all hills!
Men bore them, quarry and scalp them.
Fruit trees and all cedars!
Men spray them and clearfell them
Beasts and all cattle!
Men extinguish or factory-farm them.
Creeping things and flying birds!
Men wipe them out also.
Kings of the earth and all peoples,
Princes and rulers of the earth!
Your footprints are larger than elephants
Young men and maidens together
Stopping your ears to the cries
Old men and children
Destroying the past and the future
Let them consider the sorrow of the Lord
And what they have exalted on his earth,
How is the glory hidden
In the smoke of polluting sacrifices
To our own selves.
Where are the saints
And the people of Israel to draw near him
Bringing with them
What they have done.
Have compassion on your creator
Have mercy on his creation.
Valerie Yule works on literacy and imagination. She edited What Happens to Children: the Origins of Violence (1981), an anthology of stories told, not written, by disadvantaged and disturbed children.