It’s Convention Week!! I always love the opportunity to connect again with friends from around the diocese to share the work of our Household, worship together, and enjoy sweet fellowship! Hope to see many of you there! This year, the Nuts and Bolts Blog will have a table in the exhibit hall highlighting some past blogs and providing hard copies of the resolutions from General Convention. Please stop by to get your very own copy and to say “Hi.”
Well, back to our discussion of Resolution B023 Environmental Justice which we began last week…
Let’s take a closer look at the fifth resolve:
Resolved, That the 77th General Convention calls on congregations, institutions, dioceses and the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of The Episcopal Church to support the self-determined aspirations of communities around the world, who, like the Iñupiaq Community of Kivalina, Alaska, having emitted minimal amounts of carbon and having received negligible material benefit from fossil fuel consumption, nevertheless bear the brunt of climate-change impacts…
The issue here is the effect of climate change, a topic so politically-charged that I hesitate to mention it. The media is replete with opinions on both sides of this particular issue and, as a physicist, I have my thoughts as well; but, regardless of one’s opinion, the day-to-day life situation for some communities must be considered if we are going to be faithful to our baptismal commitment to “strive for justice and peace for all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.” The House of Bishops issued a Pastoral Teaching in September, 2011, which directs us, as Christians, to recognize our responsibility to care for our planet and all its people:
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/notice/episcopal-church-house-bishops-issues-pastoral-teaching
Especially sensitive to any changes in climate are the border communities – small islands and coastal regions. The Iñupiaq Community of Kivalina, Alaska, is one such place. Prior to General Convention, the Episcopal News Service ran an article addressing some of the issues faced by this community:
While today’s blog is only trying to raise the subject of our planetary stewardship, clearly there are other concerns such as the Doctrine of Discovery which could be addressed (see Resolution A128: Direct Dioceses to Examine Impact of Doctrine of Discovery).
So what are we to do? Education is paramount. There are many sources for good information about climate change, its relationship to the burning of fossil fuels and its effects on the earth and her people. I asked one of my colleagues who has been doing research on climate change for many years for a suggestion. He replied with a link to a good, brief history of the issue: http://www.aip.org/history/climate/summary.htm
A quick Google search will uncover many more links. Perhaps your deanery or congregation could sponsor an expert speaker from one of our local colleges. Maybe someone in your congregation would like to search media sources for you and keep the congregation informed of local issues – especially important as we near elections and local referendums. Might your youth group or Sunday school classes like to reach out to the people of Kivalina Epiphany Church to gain first-hand information and offer support? And, of course, we pray:
O Lord, grant us the grace to respect and care for your creation.
Lord, hear our prayer.
O Lord, bless all of your creatures as a sign of your wondrous love.
Lord, hear our prayer.
O Lord, help us to end the suffering of the poor and bring healing to all of your creation.
Lord, hear our prayer.
O Lord, we pray for those who are seeing the water levels rising that damage their home, crops and communities. That they sustain patience and safety until it recedes.
Lord hear our prayer.
O Lord, help us to use our technological inventiveness to undo the damage we have done to your creation and to sustain your gift of nature.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Grant us eyes to see, ears to hear, and hands and feet to move at the calling of your voice. We ask all these in the Name of your Son, our Lord.
Amen.
- Kivalina, Alaska
More to come on this important resolution!
~ Judith Schellhammer, chair, Resolution Review Committee, Diocesan Council
