Streams of Mercy

I clipped an article months ago, from the May/June 2021 issue of Presbyterians Today, and have it before me this morning. In “Race, Faith and Climate Change” Neddy Astudillo, a Venezuelan-American eco-theologian, Presbyterian pastor and GreenFaith organizer in Florida writes:

“The Gospel tells us that “God so loved the world” (John 3:16).

God loves the world, not just one people. Our impact in the world – ethically and spiritually - is calling us to free the waters of justice (Amos 5:24), so that Creation can hear Christ’s good news from the children of God (Romans 8:19, Mark 16:15) … If Covid-19 has taught us anything, it is how inter-related our world is and how much our lives depend on the well-being of others. As a person of faith, called to love my neighbors as myself, I feel compelled to reject – and grow suspicious of – any dreams and views of the good life that are built at the expense of others …

I always give thanks for new thoughts shared by others that find a place in my heart and mind and life. My first thoughts about “earth care” came from “My Weekly Reader” in the 1950s, when “conservation” was the key word. Growing up in the mountains of Kentucky, there was always a concern for the dangers of strip mining and the need to reclaim and restore after years of mining. In the 90s, “recycling” was the key word. I remember going to the Sunrise Theatre to watch “An Inconvenient Truth in 2006, but learned just this morning about “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power,” that came out in 2017.

Neddy Astudillo shares a website (livingthechange.net) that offers more information on how to live climate-friendly lives. It’s time that we start “living the change” and this website will help us to do just that. I plan to spend time exploring that website and growing my understanding of how to make “climate friendly living choices.”

“Climate-friendly living choices are before us – rooted in gratitude for life and for Earth itself, our spiritual paths guide us to care for creation or nature, live simply, avoid waste, and love our neighbors, especially the most vulnerable … Working to restore our relationships with each other and the environment is a calling of our faith, not a threat to our privilege. For us Presbyterians, it can be a blessing at this time in history to avert the suffering of future generations. If scientists are right, we have less that ten years to stop climate change. Now is the time for a sustained, united actions guided by the teachings of our faith to usher in an equitable and peaceful life for all people on Earth. “

Giving thanks for fresh new thoughts that help all of us to live more faithfully … and for those streams of mercy, never ceasing.

Elizabeth