What we call “salvation” is happening to the whole of creation 
and not just to humans (Revelation 21:1). Our inability to recognize and appreciate this is a central example of our dualistic thinking and even our narcissism. Why would God’s great plan be just about us? The irony, of course, is that we are – by far – the most destructive species on the planet, and refuse to take our proper place in the entire “family of things,” as Mary Oliver calls it.
The very fact that Christians have fought the notion of evolution shows we do not minimally understand the Cosmic Christ. We should have been the first to recognize and honor evolution: the glory, patience, and humility of God is that God creates things that continue to create themselves — from the inner dynamism God has planted within them. Many of us would call this inner creative dynamism the Holy Spirit which :hovers over the initial chaos” (Genesis 1:2) and then stands at the end of history with a constant and beckoning “Come!” (Revelation 22:17). These two verses are the bookends of the Bible.
Adapted from Soul Centering through Nature: Becoming a True Human Adult, disc 2 (CD, DVD, MP3 download)
Richard Rohr