Advent is the Christian season of anticipation – watching and waiting. Advent is a season of hope. Yet this year, for many of us, it might be more difficult to fully claim hope as we wonder what future political realities might mean for God’s creation. The Creation Justice community pays close attention to the state of the natural world and those who most depend on its well-being. Profound and urgent needs surround us. While the world’s leaders gathered in Paris in 2015 to declare a goal of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius, we have already exceeded 1 degree Celsius of warming. Persistent climate change-related drought has displaced thousands of Syrian farmers, fueling the conflict in Aleppo. Meanwhile, low-lying communities worldwide are suffering floods from extreme weather and rising sea levels. This year, government leaders allowed communities to become sickened by poisoned water in Michigan and West Virginia, while also holding back resources for community healing and remediation. One in five species are threatened or endangered, and this year, scientists demonstrated that the world is on track to lose two thirds of all its wild animals by 2020. We are attentive to how public policy makers respond to these needs. As a whole, responses have been too little, too late, or downright harmful. Some of us to feel our hope faltering. Yet even if it is difficult, now is a time for hope. Christian hope is not a feeling. It is a gift from God. Accepting this gift requires us to release clenched anxious fists into open hands. It requires a willingness to listen -- to surrender our thoughts, words, and deeds to the only One who can create, redeem, and sustain all of creation. In times like this, I hold close these words of Salvadoran Catholic Archbishop Oscar Romero: “We are workers, not master-builders. Ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own.” And, all around me, I am heartened by the workers and ministers of the Creation Justice community. I am grateful for the witness of all who are active in disaster response ministries, who quickly came to the aid of communities in Michigan, West Virginia and South Carolina this year. I am lifted up by the children who have filed a lawsuit holding adults responsible for climate change. I find incredible hope in Christian communities’ commitment to stand with the water protectors of Standing Rock to defend their sacred land, as well as support the proactive conservation leadership of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition. I also draw strength from knowing of the thousands of daily acts of care for God's creation and neighbors that happen through congregations, camps and retreat centers, and schools. It is Christian hope that will give the Creation Justice community the moral courage required of us for such a time as this. Next year, our Earth Day Sunday curriculum and programming will focus on environmental justice from indigenous peoples' perspectives. We will also improve our action center and increase opportunities for the Creation Justice community to develop relationships with decision-makers.
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Top Alaskan Christian Leaders Thankful for Withdrawal of Arctic Drilling Leases
Leaders cite protecting indigenous spiritualities and land-based livelihoods among reasons for caution Today, five top Alaskan Christian faith leaders sent a letter to President Obama and Secretary Jewell thanking them for their “prudent decision to revoke permits to drill in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas under the Department of Interior’s 2017-2022 Oil and Gas Leasing Program.” (Read the Department of Interior statement about the permit revocations.) Signers included Orthodox Church in America Diocese of Sitka and Alaska Bishop David Mahaffey, Alaska United Methodist Conference Superintendent Rev. Carlo A. Rapanut, Presbyterian Church (USA) Presbytery of the Yukon Executive Presbyter Rev. Curt Karns, Alaska Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Bishop Shelley Wickstrom, and Episcopal Diocese of Alaska Bishop Mark Lattime. The letter highlights their “grief, lamentation, and alarm over the rapid devastation of Arctic ecology and Native Alaskan subsistence lifestyles.” It also expresses appreciation for President Obama’s intentional effort to experience and listen to the pain of Arctic communities: “The Arctic is experiencing global warming at nearly twice the rate of the rest of the world. We are grateful you came to understand our reality first hand when you visited Alaska.” Aware of their own faith communities’ economic struggles and fears, the letter’s authors declared: “Now is the time to make difficult decisions about fossil fuels. Our communities feel pressure to provide for their families, and some see fossil fuels as the only choice for economic opportunity. We reject the premise that families must choose between eating today, and providing for all of creation tomorrow.” The leaders also pledged to be problem-solvers: “We need new economic opportunities for Alaska that will bring blessings not only today, but to future generations. We pledge to work with our faith communities toward such solutions.” Creation Justice Ministries executive director Shantha Ready Alonso said of the letter, “Faith communities in Alaska are on the front lines of coping with ecological damage. This letter is a sign of relief that at least one existential threat to communities’ spiritualities, livelihoods, and safety has been put to rest.” ### Creation Justice Ministries represents the creation care policies of 38 Christian communions, including Baptists, mainline Protestants, Historically Black Churches, Peace Churches, and Orthodox communions. Learn more at www.creationjustice.org Following our trip to Standing Rock, we're working to share the following six thoughts for people contemplating camping out there. If you know anyone who's heading out there or thinking about it, feel free to pass them on.
Associate Rector Rev. Lisa Fry, Rev. Rector Danny Schieffler, and Curate Rev. Michael McCain at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church take a break for a photograph while local construction workers install solar panels on a church building.
By Rev. Steve Copley, Executive Director, Interfaith Arkansas
Ever since an Arkansas Solar Cooperative was formed two years ago, I have been looking forward to the day solar panels would be installed on a house of worship in Little Rock. That day came last month on Tuesday, September 6. In 2014, Arkansas Interfaith Power and Light (which is the Environment Mission and Service Team of Interfaith Arkansas) worked with the Arkansas Renewable Energy Association, to establish the Arkansas Solar Cooperative so that those interested could take advantage of reduced costs through bulk purchasing of solar panels. Information sessions were held at houses of worship and community centers around the state. As a result, several people in the pews purchased panels for their rooftops. In 2015, we again worked in collaboration to break ground on a cooperative solar garden in Scott, Arkansas. Through meter aggregation, utility customers without sunny south-facing rooftops could purchase solar panels in the garden. The power produced provides credits to their utility bills in town. Now in 2016, ten solar panels have been installed on the roof of the Youth Building at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Little Rock. The installation was a cooperative effort of Arkansas Renewable Energy Association, Stellar Sun, Interfaith Arkansas, Arkansas Interfaith Power & Light, and ministries and members at St. Mark’s Church. The panels are expected to produce a typical average of 313.3 kWh of electricity per month. The clean energy production is expected to reduce the church’s carbon footprint by an approximate 650 pounds of carbon emissions per month or roughly 4 tons per year. The improvement is part of St. Mark’s commitment through its EcoMark Ministry to stewardship of the earth’s natural resources and protection of the planet’s fragile atmosphere. Arkansas Interfaith Power & Light, Interfaith Power & Light at the national level, and Arkansas Renewable Energy Association donated seed money for the project. Stellar Sun offered a reduced installation cost to the church. Church members raised the remaining funds necessary for the project. Going Solar from Episcopal Arkansas on Vimeo. Creation Justice Ministries is a co-sponsor of the Food Week of Action. It begins this Sunday, October 9 and includes International Day for Rural Women (October 15), World Food Day on October 16, and International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (October 17). As you may recall, in 2015, Creation Justice Ministries released the Christian Education resource "Sustainable Food in a Changing Climate." We encourage you to re-visit it this week!
The priority actions for this year’s Food Week advocate for fair wages and trade and land justice. Our faith calls us to work for a world where everyone has sufficient, healthy and culturally appropriate food! And where those who produce and prepare the food are fairly compensated, respected and celebrated! The global Food Week of Action (October 9-17) is an opportunity for Christians around the world to act together for food justice and food sovereignty. It is a special time to raise awareness about approaches that help individuals and communities develop resiliency and combat poverty. Beyond examining our food choices, we must also recognize the lingering roots of racism embedded in our food system, which was founded on slavery and plantation agriculture, and still exploits the environment and workers in the food chain. We call for societal and policy changes that bring us closer to realizing the right to food for everyone and positive transformation of the dominant system. Check out the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s hub for all things Food Week. Educational Materials
Worship and Theological Resources Bulletin Insert for Food Week Food Week Liturgy World Food Day Prayer Christian communities are supporting the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's actions to protect God's creation, as well as spiritually and culturally significant places, from the Dakota Access Pipeline. Here is a roundup of Christian community solidarity actions. This blog will be updated as more information comes in, and if you have tips for us, email us at [email protected]
Christian Statements American Baptist Home Mission Societies Baltimore Yearly Meeting Dallas Friends Meeting Disciples Justice Action Network (DJAN) Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton Friends Committee on National Legislation General Board of Church and Society, United Methodist Church United Methodist Dakotas-Minnesota Conference Bishop Bruce R. Ough United Methodist Western Jurisdiction Officers Interfaith Statement of Support for Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Mennonite Central Committee Miami Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends New York Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends Orthodox-Catholic Church of America Pax Christi USA Presbyterian Church (USA) Presbyterian Church (USA) FAQ Page on #NoDAPL Quaker Earthcare Witness United Church of Christ World Student Christian Federation (North American Region) York (PA) Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends Young Evangelicals for Climate Action Young Evangelicals for Climate Action Letter to POTUS Christian Community News Clips Religious Leaders Stand in Solidarity With Protesters at Standing Rock Sioux Reservation | PBS - Religion and Ethics Newsweekly (12.9.16) Updated: Standing Rock Ministry Stands Resolutely with Sioux Nations's Cause | Episcopal News Service (11.28.16) Tear Gas and Water Cannons Used on Hundredso of Activists at Standing Rock: Witnesses Report 200 Injuries in Sub-Freezing Temperatures | Presbyterian Misionary Agency (11.18.16) The Church and the Dakota Pipeline Protests: Standing Rock is a New Turn in Christian Ties with Native Americans |The Economist (11.27.16) At Standing Rock and Beyond: What is to be Done? | New York Times (11.25.16) From Blacksmiths to Lawyers, Professional Servies are in Demand at Standing Rock: Presbyterian Delegation Gets Overview of Camp Operations | Presbyterian Misionary Agency (11.25.16) Water Protectors at Standing Rock Prepare for Brutal Winter | Presbyterian Misionary Agency (11.18.16) Standing With Standing Rock: Water Protecters and the New Selma | National Council of the Churches of the Christ in the USA (11.17.16) Standing with Standing Rock by Listening First, Acting Second | United Church of Christ (11.17.16) Local Clergy Joined in Vigil at North Dakota Pipeline Site | South Bend Tribune (11.16.16) 500 Religious Leaders Joined Native Americans in Protest and Prayer at Standing Rock | UpWorthy (11.8.16) Eco-justice at Stake for Standing Rock People in USA | World Council of Churches (11.7.16) Two PC (USA) Protestors Arrested at North Dakota Capitol | Presbyterian Mission Agency (11.7.16) Presbyterian Center holds prayer vigil in solidarity with Standing Rock protests | Presbyterian Mission Agency (11.7.16) Two PC(USA) protestors arrested at North Dakota capitol | Presbyterian Mission Agency (11.7.16) Clergy Action in Solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux: A Report from Members of Hudson River Presbytery on November 3, 2017 | Hudson River Presbytery 11.4.16 We Are Our Own Medicine: Report From AFSC Delegation to Standing Rock | American Friends Service Committee (11.4.16) Commentary: Follow Me | United Church of Christ (11.4.16) PC(USA) Faith Leaders Join Standing Rock Solidarity Gathering | Presbyterian Mission Agency (11.4.16) Clergy From Across U.S. to Stand in Solidarity with Indigenous ‘Water Protectors’ at Standing Rock | Baptist News Global (11.3.16) Arrests made following rally of protesters, clergy at Capitol | The Bismarck Tribune (11.3.16) Video: Presiding Bishop Calls for Prayer for Standing Rock Sioux Nation | Episcopal News Service (11.3.16) Call is Issued for Episcopalians to Stand with Standing Rock on November 3 | Episcopal News Serve (11.3.16) Clergy Gather to Add Solidarity to Standing Rock Water Protectors | Presbyterian Mission Agency (11.2.16) Franciscans Join with 400 Faith Leaders at Standing Rock | Franciscan Action Network (11.2.16) Mercy Joins Standing Rock to Protect Our Earth | Sisters of Mercy (11.2.16) Episcopal Presiding Bishop Michael Bruce Curry Calls on Episcopalians to Pray for Standing Rock | Episcopal News Service (11.2.16) United Church Funds Hosts Standing Rock Tribal Chair as Investors Look to Offer Support | United Church of Christ News (10.31.16) An Orthodox Christian Response to Standing Rock | kaleeg.com (10.31.16) Standing in Solidarity with Standing Rock | Presbyterian News Service (10.30.16) Wyomingites Make Trip to Support North Dakota Protests | Wyoming Tribune (10.29.16) Episcopal Church Called to a 'Powerful Opportunity to Exercise Our Shared Baptismal Ministry" | The Episcopal Church (10.28.16) Episcopal Church Executive Committee Stands with Standing Rock | The Episcopal Church (10.22.16) Churches Uniting in Christ issue statement re: Standing Rock Sioux | Disciples News Service (10.21.16) Churches Uniting in Christ Stand with the Standing Rock Sioux | CUIC (10.21.16) UCC Clergy Support Standing Rock Locally, and in Montana | United Church News Service (10.11.16) Native American Groups Call Presbyterians to Prayer for the Standing Rock Sioux | Presbyterian News Service (10.4.16) My Visit to the Camp of Sacred Stones at Standing Rock Reservation | Rev. Paul Henschen, Presbyterians for Earth Care blog (10.3.16) Oil Transport in Valley a Reason to Repent | Rev. Donna Scharper in the Poughkeepsie Journal (9.29.16) "Standing Rock" and "The Golden Rule": A Reflection on Sunday's Gospel Reading | Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis, blog of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (9.28.16) Image Gallery: Bishop Visits Standing Rock Sioux Reservation | Episcopal News Service (9.26.16) #NativeLivesMatter: Protecting the Water at Standing Rock | United Church of Christ (9.15.16) The Fire at Standing Rock: Three Lessons for Continued Struggle | Rev. Dr. Brooks Berndt, The New Sacred United Church of Christ blog (9.22.16) United Methodists stand with Standing Rock| Doreen Gosmire, director of communications, Dakotas Conference UMC (9.12.16) Despite Judge's Ruling Against Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Federal Agencies Halt Pipeline Construction | Episcopal News Service (9.9.16) Government Steps in, Temporarily Halts Construction on Pipeline | United Church of Christ News (9.9.16) Presbytery of the Northern Plains Sends Support to North Dakota | Presbyterian News Service (9.8.16) Faith Leaders Converge at Standing Rock against Dakota Access Pipeline | United Church of Christ News (9.7.16) Bound in Love: Lessons from Standing Rock | Sojourners (9.6.16) Lummi Totem Poll Ceremony in Sandpoint, Idaho, On to Standing Rock | Presbyterian News Service (9.2.16) United Methodists, Native Americans Oppose Pipeline | United Methodist News Service (9.1.16) Presbyterians Join Lummi Nation to Fight Fossil Fuel Projects in the Northwest | Presbyterian News Service (8.30.16) Opinion: Standing with American Indians to Protect Our World From Destruction | Rev. Jared C. Cramer, Grand Haven Tribune (8.29.16) Standing with the Standing Rock Sioux | Avery Davis, Sojourners (8.26.16) Episcopalians Invited to Support Anti-Pipeline Protestors | Episcopal News Service (8.26.16) Efforts to Stop Dakota Access Pipeline Move to DC District Court | United Church of Christ (8.25.16) Some Social Media Highlights The situation at Standing Rock is constantly changing. At any given time, check with the websites and Facebook pages of the different camps to determine whether you’re able to provide the specific kinds of support most needed:
http://www.ocetisakowincamp.org https://www.facebook.com/RedWarriorCamp http://sacredstonecamp.org https://www.facebook.com/standingrocksolidaritytraining http://www.standingrocksolidaritynetwork.org More than 25 faith community leaders and socially responsible investment firms joined together in a letter to oil and gas lobby groups calling on them to drop their opposition to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's natural gas waste rule, and join our communities in supporting it.
The letter released today was sent to the Western Energy Alliance, the Consumer Energy Alliance, the Colorado Oil & Gas Association, the New Mexico Oil & Gas Association, the New Mexico Association of Commerce and Industry, the Colorado Petroleum Council, and the La Plata Energy Council. We are releasing the letter on the heels of a NASA report on methane pollution and the Western Energy Alliance conference, for which we prayed. We have a moral responsibility to cut methane emissions and reduce natural gas waste from oil and gas operations on our public lands. Methane is the primary component of natural gas. We believe all energy sources to be gifts from God, and it is up to us to steward them wisely: As the old adage goes: waste not, want not. When natural gas is wasted, it means lost revenues that could go to the common good – to our schools and communities. Also, that lost energy that could be heating homes for low-income families. Along with methane, oil and gas operations emit toxics such as benzene, which threaten the health of people living closest to the drilling operations. These drilling sites also emit ozone-forming pollutants that can trigger asthma attacks and worsen emphysema. Communities most at-risk for the effects of ozone pollution are the most vulnerable: children, older adults, impoverished communities, and communities of color. It is our moral responsibility and duty to cultivate and conserve the gifts of God's creation in a sustainable way - including natural gas. We must ensure future generations can continue to benefit from God's abundant gifts. Many faith teachings, including Pope Francis's recent encyclical Laudato Si', highlight our shared moral responsibility to prevent harm to communities by re-evaluating and changing unsustainable practices. The good news is that this is a problem we can solve. Our nation has the technologies and the know-how to cut methane waste and pollution. Now is the time for oil and gas lobby groups to join us in supporting the BLM natural gas waste rule. Pray for Oil and Gas Industry Leaders to Make Moral Choices to Cut Methane Waste -- #Pray4WEA8/17/2016 ![]() Energy is an abundant gift from God. It is up to us to steward that energy in a way that is responsible. We must balance the needs of humanity and the rest of God's creation. We also must ensure the ways we meet energy needs of today do not undermine the needs of future generations. Our energy choices matter now more than ever, and this is a year when government and business face some serious choices about methane, the main component of natural gas. Right now, oil and natural gas industry operations waste and pollute with excess methane by leaking, venting, and flaring it. In the past year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as well as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have taken action to ensure oil and gas industry operations plug methane leaks, and stop the wasteful practice of venting and flaring. The BLM proposed rule is of particular interest to local taxpayers, because oil and gas profits made on BLM public lands contribute to the local common good. (For example, school funding.) In the long run, stopping waste means the profits the companies make and the taxes the communities collect will increase. A moral principle to live by: waste not, want not. The EPA rule and the BLM proposed rule are commonsense measures to ensure all oil and gas operations reduce waste in their operations while also cutting pollution that endangers the health of workers and local communities, as well as the climate. Protestant, Catholic, Evangelical, and Jewish communities are all robustly on the record calling for government to act to cut methane waste and pollution, and in their letters and statements, you can read many reasons why we care. For the sake of alleviating childhood asthma, to stopping climate change, to ensuring governments get their fair share of tax revenue from oil and gas operations, it is time to cut methane waste and pollution. Just this week, NASA released a report that further reinforced the importance of these methane waste and pollution reduction standards. The NASA report showed natural gas waste and methane pollution burden oil and gas operations in the San Juan Basin, and the surrounding communities. Oil and gas operations contribute to the dangerous methane cloud hovering over the Four Corners. NASA found over 250 methane pollution sources across the San Juan Basin. The study revealed leaking storage tanks and pipeline leaks associated with the oil and gas industry are a major problem, but only 10 percent of the sources studied were responsible for more than half the methane pollution NASA found in the San Juan Basin. How can we find these few devastating leaks without regulation? Without comprehensive leak detection inspections, we can’t predict when and where these leaks will occur. Only clear standards that apply to all industry operators can make that happen. On the heels of the release of this NASA report, a major player in the public dialogue on energy ethics, the Western Energy Alliance, is convening major oil and gas industry leaders at a national conference. Change is never easy, and it is hard to predict how industry leaders may react to these new EPA standards, the forthcoming BLM standards, and the mounting evidence of the moral imperative to cut methane waste and pollution. On the occasion of oil and gas industry decision-makers' meeting in Vail, Colorado in August 2016, we pray they will share a moral vision for methane stewardship. It is our hope and prayer that industry leaders will see regulations as creating a level playing field that helps everyone better care for the local community's health and wealth. For such a time as this, we need moral, cautious, forward-thinking leadership from the energy industry. And, we need a lot of prayer for our leaders and decision-makers. Please join us in our effort to pray for oil and gas industry decision-makers, including this week as they meet at the Western Energy Alliance gathering. Share your own prayers on social media at #Pray4WEA, share this blog post on Facebook, share this picture with our prayer intentions, or retweet us. ***
Creator God, we thank and praise you for all the gifts of the Earth that help us heat our homes, travel, cook our meals, and more. The Earth and all that is in it belongs to you, God. We are humbled and grateful that you have entrusted us as caretakers of your creation, and have called us to love our neighbors as ourselves, caring for their health and well-being. As oil and gas industry leaders convene in Vail, Colorado, we pray for your blessing on their meeting. We pray for moral decision-making among all who have been charged with the great responsibility of meeting our communities' energy needs. May the words of their mouths and meditations of their hearts center around responsible stewardship of all gifts of the Earth, including methane. God, you have created abundance, and we remember the adage of our ancestors: Waste not, want not. We pray for strong commitment to the health and well-being of workers and communities living near oil and gas operations. We pray for a concern for justice and care for your whole good creation, God, planet and people. Amen. ***
Among environmentalists, the language used to describe their focus has often been an area of debate and contestation. Among Christians, describing our care for God's creation is even more complicated, as our call to till and keep the Earth precedes the modern environmental movement by a couple of millenia. There have been arguments against a narrow definition of the term “environment” that refers to natural outdoor landscapes full of undomesticated plants and animals. Some contend that this definition reinforces false opposites in which the natural world and the human world are seen as two separate spheres. Others contend that how one defines “environment” is often shaped by experiences related to one’s race, class, and geographic location. Dorceta Taylor, a professor at the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment, once noted, “It's not necessarily that there is a 'black ecology' and 'white ecology.’ It's just that our lived experiences with environment are different. White people bring their experience to the discussion — that's why they focus on the birds, trees, plants, and animals, because they don't have the experience of being barred from parks and beaches.” Notably, the definitions of environment that came out of the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit in 1991 focused on “all aspects of daily life—where we live, work, and play.” The echoes of past debates over language continue today among environmentalists. Some assert that there is too much focus on a narrowly conceived natural environment and not enough focus on the social justice impacts of environmental degradation on poor communities and communities of color. At the same time, some feel there is too much focus on humans in general. These two contentions do not need to be held in opposition. Notably, in his encyclical on climate change, Pope Francis excelled in connecting climate change to economic inequality while also criticizing a modern anthropocentrism that views “nature” as an object to be exploited for human ends. Pope Francis’s views reflect a historic and evolving current among faith traditions. This current regards environmental consciousness and social justice as intimately intertwined. As part of this prophetic current, the language of “creation justice” has emerged. The word “creation” inherently evokes meanings that transcend artificial divides between the “human” and “nature.” “Creation” signals the truth of our interconnected reality. Moreover, it evokes the sacred story of origin that not only speaks to our common connection to each other but to our common connection to God. As Genesis 9:15 reminds us, God’s covenant is not only with humans but with “every living creature.” Within this covenantal understanding of the web of life, the emphasis on justice arises as a central guiding impulse. If the word “creation” signals the totality of relationships with God, then creation justice signals the movement toward right relationships among all of God's creation. Building on the concept of eco-justice, creation justice entails an integrated, holistic ecology. It entails an understanding of the world which includes the built environment, culture, economic and political activity, and all of humanity as part of God's creation. Using the term "creation" instead of "eco" or "environment" demonstrates our humble self-awareness that we are part of the created order our Creator constantly is at work with us to redeem and sustain. Using the term "justice" rather than "care" indicates our commitment to not only heal, tend, and restore God's creation, but to ensure the protection of God's planet and God's people from exploitation, as well as provision for the remediation of the damage that has been done. Because of the connotations and meanings of the phrase creation justice, it was adopted in the naming of Creation Justice Ministries. More recently, the United Church of Christ has named their green church recognition program “Creation Justice Churches,” while the American Baptists have developed a “Creation Justice Network.” Shantha Ready Alonso is the Executive Director of Creation Justice Ministries and Brooks Berndt is the United Church of Christ Minister for Environmental Justice. This piece originally appeared on the United Church of Christ Environmental Justice blog, "The Pollinator."
By: Shantha Ready Alonso, Executive Director, Creation Justice Ministries
On Ash Wednesday, we receive a reminder of our mortality: we came from dust, and to dust we shall return. The passage from Matthew 6 that we always read on Ash Wednesday is a tough one for me as a social change worker. The idea that my “reward will be great in heaven” is not what I want to hear when I’m trying to be a co-worker with God here and now. I want to see good results of our shared labors. I confess it is a spiritual struggle for me to connect with next-worldly transcendence. Heaven might be great, but what I know about is Earth --- God’s dusty Earth. Most of us see the idea of returning to dust as a drag. Dust isn’t too glamorous to the average person. But, dust gets a bad rap. I’d like to make a case for why God’s dusty Earth, here and now, is under-rated. First, dust connects us to the cosmos. From the beginning of the universe to today, when stars explode, their dust scatters far and wide. Some of it gets caught in the gravitational pull of our planet. In the spinning of our planet, star dust becomes part of Earth and all that is part of Earth. As earthlings, we are literally made of star dust. Second, dust connects us to each other. Those who have gone before us, including Jesus, return to dust and become part of the Earth again. So our bodies are not only connected to our ancestors the way we usually think about it – through passing forward of genetic code, but also through the elements of the earth which they returned to upon their death. This includes Jesus, a fellow earthling, a fellow human. The idea of Jesus’ continued bodily legacy on Earth even informs some people’s Eucharistic theology. And, dust doesn’t just connect us to other people. God loves calling diversity out of the dust of the Earth – a diversity of living species. We are intimately related to plants and other creatures in ways we have barely begun to grasp. Even the ones we don’t particularly understand or care for – the bat, the Gila monster, the mosquito… Lastly, we are connected through dust to everything we co-create with God. That includes our built environment, and our stuff. It also includes less tangible things that we give life to: cultures, languages, music, poetry, stories, our economy, our political systems, and yes, even religions. In Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si’, he highlights this principle that we are both creatures and co-creators in an interconnected world; he calls this idea integral ecology. Today, we will impose ashes on your forehead, and you will hear the words, “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” Hold those words close to your heart. Know that Jesus, too, shared this dusty Earth with you, and has returned to dust before you. Like Jesus, you are called to listen for God’s inspiration and to co-create diversity out of dust. Dust is important, and our creature-ly, earthly existence has more cosmic, global, and local significance than we all might realize. |
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