“We
are faced not with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social,
but rather with one complex crisis which is both social and environmental.
Strategies for a solution demand an integrated approach to combating poverty,
restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting nature.” Pope
Francis, Laudato Si, Chapter 4,
paragraph 139
September
24, 2015. I live in northern Virginia,
just outside of Washington, DC, which can sometimes be both a blessing and a
curse. Yesterday, when Pope Francis
addressed Congress, it was a huge blessing!
My wife and I joined a number of our friends from Faith Alliance for
Climate Solutions, an interfaith group in Fairfax County, VA, and the National
Capital Presbytery Earth Care Network, a group of 10 churches in the National
Capital Presbytery dedicated to earth care, to hear what the pontiff had to say
on the National Mall. Oh sure, we could
have watched it at home on TV, but being there in-person among an incredibly
diverse crowd of people who are passionate about the environment was
electrifying! After much speechifying
and good music, we got to see and hear His Holiness on a jumbo-tron. Pope Francis did for Congress and the
American people what pastors from before Jesus’ time have always tried to do –
discern God’s Word for our time and place.
The crowd on the grass all around us cheered wildly, as if we were in
the chamber. But as my pastor once said
to our congregation: “What are you going
to do after the cheering stops?”
That
brings me to the second event that I attended that day. It was an interfaith gathering at the
National Cathedral entitled, Coming
Together in Faith on Climate. It
included faith leaders from about a dozen different faith traditions from
Jewish to Muslim to Episcopalian, Catholic, Evangelical Christian, and
AME. It even included a sitting US
Senator, Sheldon Whitehorse of RI. Imam
Ebrahim Rasool summed the prevailing sentiment best telling us that the current
ecological/social crisis was so threatening to our world that we needed to put
aside our religious differences, as Pope Francis had said earlier in the day,
and work together to address the situation.
The imam reminded us that this is a moral issue with deep theological
roots in all of the major world religions, be they Jewish, Christian, Muslim,
Buddhist, or Hindu. These faith leaders
then called on all people of faith everywhere to adopt this five-point strategy
“to lead by example.”
1. Engage: Engage our Congregations and Communities for
Climate Solutions. Beginning today, we’re asking every person of
faith to go to their house of worship as soon as possible, and speak from their
heart to their clergy or spiritual leaders.
We’re asking the same of clergy and spiritual leaders – to speak personally,
from your heart, to your congregation.
Tell them you agree with Pope Francis and a wide array of multi-faith
leaders that we have a moral obligation to take action today on climate change
and build a sustainable future for our children. Tell them you will lead by example to build
support for climate solutions by engaging and inspiring others and take actions
that will help restore a healthy atmosphere, and you hope that will lead by
example too. And make sure to take this
personal pledge: www.blessedtomorrow.org/join
2. Energize:
Form or
Join a Clean Energy Group in our Faith Communities.
Thousands of congregations already have active climate- and
environment-oriented groups leading the way in switching to clean, renewable
energy. But we need thousands more. At the site below, you’ll find links to the
amazing organizations that are doing wonderful work helping congregations and
individuals energize, so you can (a) maximize energy efficiency; (b) switch to
clean, renewable energy for your community of faith, your home, and your
neighborhood; and (c) so you can energize your people to push for needed
political action. www.interfaithpowerandlight.org
3. Divest/Invest: Clean up our Personal and Congregational Investments.
Denominations, universities, and seminaries are divesting from fossil
fuels, and investing in clean, renewable energy. Now, it’s possible for us as individuals to
do so as well – transferring our personal savings, IRA’s, and other investments
into companies that are part of the solution instead of part of the
problem. Make your personal pledge at www.idivestinvest.org
4. Vote: Make Climate One of our Top
Three Issues When (Not If) We Vote. We’re asking you to demand needed action from
every candidate and elected leader in every election. We’ll provide you with resources to help you
learn which candidates are supporting climate change solutions, and which are
ignoring or opposing them. www.faithinpubliclife.org
5. Educate:
Stay
Informed and Educate Others. Through your social media and in-person
networks, you can become a trusted source of information and inspiration for
others. To stay informed and keep
learning, sign up for Common Good News for regular updates: www.convergenceus.org/common-good-news.html
I
hope you cheered the Pope’s words, but now that the cheering has died down,
what are you going to do about it?
David
Kepley
Ruling
Elder and Deacon
Providence
Presbyterian Church
Fairfax,
VA
Kepley.david@gmail.com
