Mother Earth and Christian Environmentalism

Mother Earth and Christian Environmentalism
August 1, 2019 by Henry Karlson

In what often seems like a robotic response, whenever someone like Pope Francis speaks about the need to take care of the earth, critics, especially on social media, respond by suggesting the Pope (or whoever makes the plea) is incorporating unholy paganism into their exhortations. Such critics want to suggest that the notion of Mother Earth, Gaia, of the World Soul, lies behind environmental concerns, and that notion runs contrary to orthodox Christian thought.

What utter nonsense encourages so-called Christians to disregard their role as stewards of the earth? How does taking care of God’s creation, the earth, indicate anything about how we view it in relationship to God? That is, how does treating it with respect indicate we worship it in place of God? Likewise, why do such critics assume Christianity cannot accept the idea of Mother Earth, or the World Soul? Why would accepting the earth is alive and has its own life-force mean Christians think the earth is more important than God? Does doing good for our neighbor, loving them, because they are living beings, make us somehow worship them in the place of God? Obviously not, because Jesus would not have told us to love our neighbor as ourselves if that were the case. Now, it is possible for someone to worship their neighbor as a god, indeed, history shows us many humans who have become deified and treated as gods, but that does not mean respecting our neighbor, indeed, showing them love, should therefore be rejected. Why, then, should loving the earth, in and of itself, be rejected? Moreover, what is wrong if some people believe the earth is living, having its own soul? Historically, many (if not most) Christians accepted some notion of Mother Earth and the World Soul. It was only after the Enlightenment, in the modern age, when the livelihood of other animals was also question, did pure materialistic notions of the earth become normalized, leading people to assume afterward such a reductionistic narrative in regards the earth is normative for Christianity.

Saint Francis of Assisi could easily sing, “Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Mother Earth,” that is, “Laudato si, mi Signore, per sora nostra matre Terra,” because he understood our connection with the earth he said that it sustains and governs us: “ la quale ne sustenta et gouerna, et produce diuersi fructi con coloriti fior et herba.”  His praise of God, seen in the joy he found in considering the good of Mother Earth did not interfere with his relationship with God: rather, he saw Mother Earth, and its guidance and direction, and benevolence, was established by God, so that by recognizing and honoring Mother Earth, he was honoring and promoting the greater glory of God. That has always been the key for Christians: if one viewed Mother Earth as a living entity, they have to recognize it as a created being and not the Creator himself. This did not mean Christians needed to accept the earth as a living entity with a soul of its own, but it was certainly permissible. Thus, when we read St. Augustine, in his early works we see he had no problem following the Platonic tradition and accepting the notion of a World Soul:

    Hence the body subsists through the soul and exists by the very fact that it is animated, whether universally, as is the world, or individually, as is each and everything that has life within the world.[1]

Later in life, when he reconsidered what he wrote, he suggested his words were rash,  not because the World Soul needs to be denied, but because he thought he needed to explore the issue more to make a proper affirmation:

    But that this world is an animate being, as Plato and numerous other philosophers thought, I have not been able to investigate by solid reasoning, nor have I found that I accept this idea on the authority of the Sacred Scriptures. Hence, something said by me, too, in the book, On the Immorality of the Soul, which can be interpreted in this way, I have noted was said rashly – not because I maintain that this is false, but because I do not understand that it is true that the world is an animate being. For, assuredly, I do not doubt that it must be firmly maintained that this world is not God for us, whether it has any soul or no soul, because if it has a soul, He who created it is “our God”; but if it is not animated, it cannot be that God of anyone – much less ours. [2]

What is clear, from Augustine, is not that the World Soul should be denied, but rather, if it is affirmed, there needs to be a sound basis for it, and if it exists, this must not be used to make it greater than God.

Following Augustine, then, we can say that accepting the World Soul, accepting some notion that the earth is living, does not mean we turn it into a god, just as by having animal companions in our lives, we do not turn them into gods. It is a dishonest and disingenuous argument to suggest those who look to the earth as alive are acting contrary to the Christian teaching and tradition when that tradition has long accepted such a view of the world is permissible and many great Christian theologians and philosophers reflected upon the earth in such a fashion.  While their number is numerous, we can look at a few examples, starting with Boethius in his Consolation of Philosophy:

    O you who in perpetual order govern the universe,
    Creator of heaven and earth, who hid time ever move,
    And resting still, grant motion to all else;
    Whom no external cause drove to make
    Your work of flowing matter, but the form
    Within yourself of the highest good, ungrudging;  from a heavenly pattern
    You draw out all things, and being yourself most fair,
    A fair world in your mind you bear, and forming it
    In the same likeness, bid it being perfect to complete itself.
    In perfect parts.   You bind its elements with law, so that the cold
    Come together with flames, the dry with liquids, let the fire too pure
    Fly off, or lest its weight pull down the overwhelmed earth.
    You, binding soul together in its threefold nature’s midst,
    Soul that moves all things, then divides it into harmonious parts;
    Soul thus divided has its motion gathered
    Into two circles, moves to return into itself, and the Mind deep within,
    Encircles and makes the heavens turn, in likeness to itself.
    You thing bring forth, with the same bases, lesser living souls,
    And giving them light chariots fitting their heavenly nature,
    Broadcast them in heavens and on earth and by your bounteous law
    Make them, turned toward you, with returning fire come back. [3]

Allan of Lille, likewise, established the world soul in his theology, as a higher sphere of existence: “The World Soul, which is made to revolve by the tireless circling of reason, and is understood through the inquiry of that same faculty, is rightly named the rational sphere”.[4]

Hugh of St Victor, engaging Plato, saw the World Aoul as organizing and keeping things together, so that there is an underlying order found behind the apparent diversity on the earth:

    And Plato’s Timaeus formed the entelechy out of substance which is “dividual” and “individual” and mixed of these two; and likewise out of nature which is “same” and “diverse” and a mixture of this pair, by which the universe is defined. For the entelechy grasps” not only the elements but all things that are made by them,” since, through its understanding, it comprehends the invisible causes of things and, through sense perceptions, picks up the visible forms of actual objects. “divided, it gathers movement into twin spheres” because, whether it goes out to sensible things through its senses or ascends to invisible things through its understanding, it circles about, drawing to itself the likeness of things; and thus it is that one and the same mind, having the capacity for all things, is fitted together out of every substance and nature by the fact that it represents within itself their imaged likeness. [5]

Ficino’s presentation of the world soul follows this same vein:

    Yet above individual souls is the one soul of the world. For there has to be one living work of one living craftsman. It is not one and alive except through one life. It does not have one life unless is has one soul. Since, as the majority argue, one prime matter in itself unformed lies concealed in all the spheres, it is proper that its soul be one. What it is that is responsible for making the limbs of the world, though they are in opposition to each other, nonetheless work together and variously share their powers, unless it is that one soul tempers the humors, however diverse, of this huge living being, and takes the spatially separated limbs and the quality of life and of motion and joins them in concord? How else could the lower parts follow the bidding of the higher, and all the limbs of the world be in symphony, so to speak, with each other, except by sharing one common nature? One nature comes from one soul. This divine animal should not be any less united than any other animal, seeing that it is the most mighty of all. [6]

The world can be described a “divine animal,” not because it is confused with God, but because it is an animal, made by God, with a great soul. It is this tradition, then, we see within the Christian faith, that we can find agreement with various modern day scientific hypotheses which suggest that the earth is indeed a living creature. Christians do not have to denounce this as somehow making  a new religion, turning the earth into a god to replace God. Rather, they can easily acknowledge their own tradition has already recognized this way of looking at the earth as being acceptable.

We are called to respect the earth just as we are called to respect our neighbor. We are called to do good to it just as we are called to do good for those in need, because in doing so, we then honor God. Instead of seeing some sort of ungodly heresy behind any exhortation for us to treat the earth well, Christians should recognize the heresy and immorality being promoted by those who disdain ecological concerns. Even if, like Augustine, they are not convinced that the earth is alive, they should still realize that God calls them to take care of his earth, to be concerned as to what happens to it, because God made the earth good, and God desired humanity not only to preserve the good given to it, but to elevate it, making it greater (following the implication of the parable of the talents).

[1] St. Augustine, “The Immortality of the Soul” in Writings of Saint Augustine. Volume 2. Trans. Ludwig Schopp (New York: CIMA Publishing Company, 1947), 43-4.

[2] St. Augustine, The Retractions. Trans. Mary Inez Bogan, RSM (Washington, DC: CUA Press, 1968), 47-8.

[3] Boethius, Consolation of Philosophy in Boethius: The Theological Tractates; The Consolation of Philosophy. Trans. S.J. Tester (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1973), 271-3.

[4] Allan of Lille, “Sermon On the Intelligible Sphere” in Literary Works. Trans. Winthrop Wetherbee (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2013), 5.

[5] Hugh of Saint Victor, The Didascalicion of Hugh of Saint Victor. Trans. Jerome Taylor (New York: Columbia University Press, 1961; repr. 1991), 46.

[6] Marsilio Ficino, Platonic Theology. Books I-IV. trans. Michael J.B. Allen with John Warden (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2001), 287.

See original article on Patheos

Faith Based Ocean Resources for the Season of Creation

Creation Justice Ministries Program & Communications Coordinator Amanda Robinson recently shared faith based ocean resources for the Season of Creation. These resources were timed to coincide with the release of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate. This report explores the adverse impacts of climate change on fisheries, coral reefs, coastlines, and the people that rely upon them.

As stated by Amanda Robinson, "The findings in this report indicate that there will be serious impacts on all of God's marine creation unless humans take swift action to reduce emissions. These impacts include unprecedented sea level rise, changing behavior and migration patterns for marine life, stronger and more frequent tropical storms, flooding, food insecurity, and impaired water quality. Simply put, the global ocean is responsible for 97% of all water on planet Earth. We have a moral responsibility to do everything in our power to safeguard this vast and magnificent, yet limited, gift of God's creation."

Faith based ocean education resources

Interfaith Oceans
S.acred O.cean S.eas
The Blue Theology Mission Station

Support Climate Action Ring Your Church Bells!

We believe that ringing the bells in the cities where the students will be marching by the thousands could send a powerful message to the world. It will provide as well immense support to the students mobilized and will highlight the unquestionable leadership of faith communities in the fight against climate change. Finally, it constitutes a powerful sign that rings the alert on the climatic emergency that many churches have already declared.

Objectives: the action would consist in ringing the bells for 5 minutes during the youth climate strikes in the 20th of September, in repeated intervals of 50 chimes to symbolize that by 2050 our planet would be safe, and we will gather again to celebrate that our transition to clean economies was successful. Ideally, we would love that the bell ringing to be coordinated with the timing of the strikes. If you are interested in participating, we can provide exact timing for your city.

The bell ringing would take place to both accompany the students and capture the media attention, becoming one of the biggest media hits of that journey. It will send a powerful message, not just to the world leaders that will meet on the 23rd, urging them to act, but it will be a strong sign of pastoral solidarity and support to the youth organizing these massive mobilizations.

Fill out this form if you can participate:

Season of Creation Resources

Here are some resources to help celebrate the Season of Creation (September 1 - October 4). These resources include a Season of Creation resolution that passed at General Synod this year, resources from the Anglican Church of Canada and Ecumenical sources.  There are also links to a toolkit, study program and events.

The Season of Creation  Resolution 

Resolution A202 passed at General Synod 2019.  It was moved by: The Very Rev. Ken Gray and seconded by the Rt. Rev. Lynne McNaughton). Be it resolved that this General Synod:

• Adopt The Season of Creation in the Anglican Church of Canada as an annual time of prayer, education and action from September 1 – October 4;
• Encourage dioceses to engage with the Season of Creation, and to develop initiatives, resources and suitably authorized liturgies for use during the season; and
• Direct the Creation Matters Working Group to monitor, network and share Season of Creation initiatives through the General Synod website and in other ways.

Anglican Church of Canada resources

Lectionary Notes — Updated for 2019
Hymn Recommendations
Sample Liturgy
Additional Resources for Creation Care liturgies

Ecumenical resources

Season of Creation website includes ecumenical and Anglican prayer resources and suggestions for action.

Tookit

The Green Churches Network Season of Creation toolkit including prayers, posters, reflections, and resources for action and education.

Study Program

A Season of Creation Study Program written by Rev Chris Brouillard-Coyle from the Diocese of Huron. This fall study program can help you and your parish learn more about our baptismal call to strive to safeguard the integrity of God's creation, and respect, sustain and renew the life of the Earth.

Events

If you are celebrating the Season of Creation in your community go to seasonofcreation.org to register your event. Your location will show up on the map with others around the globe. Watch for resources to be shared under "resources from communities from CMWG members".

Special thanks to Nancy Harvey, Creation Matters Working Group (CMWG), members of the Creation Matters Network and Justice League of Huron for providing these Season of Creation resources.

Click here to see the SEC's short film The Seed.

Related
Introducing the SEC's Eightfold Path of Environmental Action
Right Understanding: Knowing the facts about climate change
Right Thought: How we think about the natural world
Right Speech: Effective environmental communications
Right Action: Making smaller footprints
Right Works: Efforts that benefit the planet
Right Effort: Choosing a cause
Right Concentration: Staying focused on creation
Right Mindfulness: Managing ecological stress

Religious Faiths Advocate for Environmental Protection

Here is a World Environment Day article published by the UN Environment reviewing the environmental calling of faith based communities. This includes the following 11 traditions: Baha’i, Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Shintoism, Sikhism, and Taoism.
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Science and religion are often thought of as being at odds on many issues. On the question of the environment, however, there's widespread agreement.

From Buddhism to Christianity to Hinduism to Islam, various faiths acknowledge the need for environmental stewardship and their holy texts urge adherents to be caretakers of the Earth and its biodiversity.

On 31 May, the United Religions Initiative, Africa and the All African Conference of Churches in collaboration with UN Environment organized an Interfaith World Environment Day celebration in Nairobi, Kenya.

The celebration called for action on the theme “Faiths for Earth—We stand together to save Mother Earth and Together we can Beat Air Pollution”. It also promoted the Green Rule (treat nature as you would like to be treated).

“Without air there is no life and polluted air has become an invisible killer. Annually, about 7 million people die as a direct result of poor air quality. We need to act, and communicate, about the environmental challenges we face and how we can fix them in order to meet our Sustainable Development Goals,” said Gary Lewis, Director of Policy and Programme Division at UN Environment.

“About half of the schools on our planet are owned by faith-based institutions, therefore they play a crucial role in arming the society with knowledge about the damage we are doing to our environment and how we can turn things around,” Lewis said.

In November 2017, following a series of initiatives and conventions organized in partnership with faith-based organizations, UN Environment launched the Faith for Earth Initiative. The initiative engages with faith-based organizations and partners with them to collectively achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and fulfill the objectives of the 2030 Agenda.

As part of the 2019 celebrations, members of various faiths will plant trees and hold an inter-faith forum for youth on 8 June at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa in Nairobi.

“We are putting the planet under enormous pressure by depleting scarce natural resources and polluting the air and water. Faith-based organizations play a significant role at the global, regional and local level in addressing climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution,” said Ambassador Mussie Hailu, Director of Global Partnership, United Religions Initiative.

As the world marks the 45th World Environment Day, the following are eleven quotes from different religious texts which remind us how faith is connected to the environment:

Baha’i: “Nature is God's Will and is its expression in and through the contingent world.” (Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 142)

Buddhism: “Our ancestors viewed the earth as rich and bountiful, which it is. Many people in the past also saw nature as inexhaustibly sustainable, which we now know is the case only if we care for it.” (Dalai Lama, 1990a)

Christianity: “We must treat nature with the same awe and wonder that we reserve for human beings. And we do not need this insight in order to believe in God or to prove his existence. We need it to breathe; we need it for us simply to be.” (Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, 2010)

Confucianism: “… sustainable harmonious relationship between the human species and nature is not merely an abstract ideal, but a concrete guide for practical living.” (International Confucian Ecological Alliance, 2015)

Hinduism: “There is an inseparable bond between man and nature. For man, there cannot be an existence removed from nature.” (Amma, 2011)

Islam: “Devote thyself single-mindedly to the Faith, and thus follow the nature designed by Allah, the nature according to which He has fashioned mankind. There is no altering the creation of Allah.” (Qur’an 30:30)

Jainism: "Do not injure, abuse, oppress, enslave, insult, torment, torture, or kill any creature or living being." (Mahavira)

Judaism: “And God said: 'Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed—to you it shall be for food.” (Gen 1:29)

Shintoism: “I will give over to my child the rice-ears of the sacred garden, of which I partake in the Plain of High Heaven.” (Nihongi II.23)

Sikhism: “You, yourself created the Universe, and You are pleased… You, Yourself the bumblebee, flower, fruit and the tree.” (Guru Granth Sahib, Maru Sohele, page 1020)

Taoism: “This original nature is the eternal law. To know the nature’s law is to be enlightened. He who is ignorant of the nature’s law shall act recklessly, and thus will invite misfortune. To know the constant law of nature is to be generous. Being generous, one is impartial. Being impartial, one is the sovereign. Sovereign is the nature itself.” (Lao-Tzu,Tao Te Ching, Chapter 16)

Source: UN Environment

Click here to see the SEC's short film The Seed.

Related
Introducing the SEC's Eightfold Path of Environmental Action
Right Understanding: Knowing the facts about climate change
Right Thought: How we think about the natural world
Right Speech: Effective environmental communications
Right Action: Making smaller footprints
Right Works: Efforts that benefit the planet
Right Effort: Choosing a cause
Right Concentration: Staying focused on creation
Right Mindfulness: Managing ecological stress

WCC represented at G20 Interfaith forum in Tokyo

Dinesh Suna, coordinator of the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Water Network, spoke at the G20 Interfaith Forum, held 7-9 June in Tokyo. This year’s theme was “Peace, People, Planet: Pathways Forward.” About 2,000 participants attend the gathering, which precedes the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan. The interfaith forum submitted recommendations for G20 leaders.

The G20 Interfaith Forum offers an annual platform through which a network of religiously linked institutions and initiatives engage on global agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals.
The G20 Interfaith Forum builds on the vital roles that religious institutions and beliefs play in world affairs, reflecting their rich diversity of institutions, ideas, and values.

Beginning in Australia in 2014, the G20 Interfaith Forum has convened annually in the G20 host country. The forums have considered wide-ranging agendas, including economic models and systems, the environment, women, families, children, work, humanitarian aid, health, education, freedom of religion or belief, global security, governance, human rights, and the rule of law.

Suna spoke as part of a panel on “Food and Water: Resources of Life.” He emphasised two good practices of the Ecumenical Water Network: promoting the concept of Blue Communities and the “10 Commandments of Food.”

Suna attributed the loss of forests the size of 30 football fields every minute, to meat industries, encouraging participants to eat locally-sourced food to reduce the water footprint. “Given that 70% of fresh water is used for agriculture and food production and only 10% for drinking and sanitation, we can save a lot of water by choosing our food wisely,” he said.

He urged participants to become “Blue Communities” by respecting the human right to water and saying no to the privatisation of water and to the bottled water industries.

Learn more about the WCC's Ecumenical Water Network

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 350 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is the Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, from the [Lutheran] Church of Norway.

Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press

Click here to see the SEC's short film The Seed.

Related
Introducing the SEC's Eightfold Path of Environmental Action
Right Understanding: Knowing the facts about climate change
Right Thought: How we think about the natural world
Right Speech: Effective environmental communications
Right Action: Making smaller footprints
Right Works: Efforts that benefit the planet
Right Effort: Choosing a cause
Right Concentration: Staying focused on creation
Right Mindfulness: Managing ecological stress

SEC Recognized for Participating in World Enviroment Day

For more information about the SEC's participation click here.

Click here to see the SEC's short film The Seed.

Related
Introducing the SEC's Eightfold Path of Environmental Action
Right Understanding: Knowing the facts about climate change
Right Thought: How we think about the natural world
Right Speech: Effective environmental communications
Right Action: Making smaller footprints
Right Works: Efforts that benefit the planet
Right Effort: Choosing a cause
Right Concentration: Staying focused on creation
Right Mindfulness: Managing ecological stress

Announcing the SEC's Short Film on World Environment Day

As part of faith based actions for World Environment Day on June 5th, the Stewardship of the Environment Committee (SEC) in the Anglican Diocese of Montreal formally announced the making of a short environmentally themed film. This film tells the tale of Aya as she embarks on a fantastical cross-generational quest to redeem the sanctity and memory of her grandmother’s garden.

The SEC has chosen to make a film because we are looking to broaden our reach but even more importantly we aspire to reach people in a way that resonates and augurs action. We know that facts alone are not getting through to everyone and as we reviewed in the SEC's fifth quarterly report for Bishop Mary we believe that faith communities are in a unique position to address the environmental crises we face.

"I used to think that top environmental problems were biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and climate change. I thought that thirty years of good science could address these problems. I was wrong. The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed and apathy, and to deal with these we need a cultural and spiritual transformation. And we scientists don’t know how to do that."

 - Gus Speth, co-founder of the Natural Resources Defense Council and former dean of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

This film has been in the works for years and thanks to the involvement of Ashley Gilmour and her talented team we are pleased to announce that the project is finally coming to fruition. Ashley is a film editor and writer who has worked with the Anglican Diocese of Montreal.

Ashley has also written the documentary Daughters of the Voice which chronicles women from various religious traditions who overcome gender barriers to rediscover universal connection and harmony as they re-imagine the role of ancient sacred music in the modern world. She co-wrote A People's Soundtrack (PBS, 2019) the story of Montreal's Jewish cantors as they fight to preserve their beloved artform and she edited the short nature themed film Hannah & the Wolf.

As explained on Ashley's website:

"Our stories are delicate, and they ought to be told as such. The pace at which I work upholds steadiness, slowness, and mindfulness to help create films that reveal deeper and quieter truths, rather than hurried and loud generalities. The atmosphere of my creative process is just as important as the mood of my films. I aim to work alongside other artists who appreciate the fragility of the human spirit, the sanctity of life, and the sway of beauty. Kindled by a fascination with the human experience, the art of conversation, and rhythmic emotional landscapes, I edit and write documentaries, films, and client videos."

Ashley's creations have been screened on television and at film festivals and we are blessed to have her and her team working on our project. Over the coming months we will provide ongoing behind the scenes updates on the making of the film. Please stay tuned!

Click here to see the SEC's short film The Seed.

Related
Introducing the SEC's Eightfold Path of Environmental Action
Right Understanding: Knowing the facts about climate change
Right Thought: How we think about the natural world
Right Speech: Effective environmental communications
Right Action: Making smaller footprints
Right Works: Efforts that benefit the planet
Right Effort: Choosing a cause
Right Concentration: Staying focused on creation
Right Mindfulness: Managing ecological stress

SEC's 5th Quarterly Report - Why Faith Leaders Must Lead

Four times a year the Stewardship of the Environment Committee (SEC) in the Anglican Diocese of Montreal compiles quarterly reports for Bishop Mary. The SEC's fifth quarterly report was prepared by the SEC at the end of March 2019. In addition to reviewing the SEC's first quarter 2019 efforts, this edition focuses on the unique competencies that faith organizations bring to efforts to address the climate crises.

Click here to read the 5th quarterly report: Why Faith Organizations Need to Lead
Click here to read the 4th quarterly report: Climate Leadership from Faith Leaders at COP24
Click here to read the 3rd quarterly report: The Season of Creation

Faith Based Actions for World Environment Day

On 5 June 2019, World Environment Day will be on the theme of air pollution— a call to action to combat one of the greatest environmental challenges of our time. Together we can #BeatAirPollution and faith based organizations around the world are invited to take part. Learn about the different types of air pollution and why they matter to you using this infographic. World Environment Day can be a platform for faith-based organizations to lead the fight for cleaner air and a better environment in ways that tie back to their belief systems. Discover how your faith-based organization can celebrate:

Here are some examples of actions faith-based organizations and faith leaders and followers can take:

• Houses of worship such as Mosques, Churches, Synagogues and Temples can use solar energy for electricity and to supply local communities with the surplus energy produced.
• Faith Leaders can use Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and other holy days to pray and preach on the individual actions worshippers can take to beat air pollution. Leaders can extract appropriate faith messages from sacred scripts connecting actions to pollution.
• Around 50 percent of schools are owned by faith-based organizations. Therefore, schools’ administrations could include air pollution and environmental literature within their curriculum, adopt renewable energy on campuses, install energy saving devices and motion-detected lights. Schools could also shift to using electric buses.
• Faith-based organizations own 5 percent of commercial forests on earth, which contribute to clean air for our planet.
• Faith leaders can encourage followers to plant more trees for every religious celebration they participate in or organize.
• Faith-based organizations can consider working with food suppliers with an ecological supply chain or who could distribute food to those in need that would otherwise be wasted.
• Faith practices such as the Lent, Ramadan and others, could be a time for faith-organizations to promote all yearlong sustainable practices and consumption.

In 2019, the end of the holy month of Ramadan is expected to fall on 5 June, coinciding with World Environment Day. The Quran tells us not only that we are the stewards of this Earth, but that we should not waste. This World Environment Day, let us all be faithful to the teachings of the Quran and do what we can to fight air pollution. Click here for suggestions on what you can do for Ramadan and Eid-Al-Fitr this World Environment Day.

Climate Emergency Declaration: Unanimous Motion Passes in the Anglican Diocese of Nova Scotia and PEI

Congratulations to the Anglican Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island for unanimously passing a resolution declaring a climate emergency at their 148th Synod this past weekend (May 23 - May 24, 2019). This is the first Anglican Diocese in Canada to do so.

Green Churches Forum 2019

Green Churches Forum 2019 will be held on the 19th and 20th of October at Notre Dame du Cap Sanctuary Trois-Rivières, Quebec. All are welcome, particularly anyone interested in the Green Churches Network, the environmental movement or water.

Speakers themes

o Water as a source of life
o Water for recreation
o Water as a source of energy
o Water for transport
o Water and conflict
o Purification
o Water as an element of Creation

Panels

Panels will highlight concrete actions taken in member churches including the experience of starting a Green Church and a review of the successes and difficulties.

Workshops

There will also be hands on workshops where participants can learn concrete skills that can then be used at home and in your church. The workshops will cover the following:

o Composting
o Reducing food waste
o Strategies to reduce plastic waste
o Energy efficiency

If you or someone you know would like to speak, present a workshop or be on a panel, please get in touch with us before the 22nd of May. Accommodations and meals will be available on site - reservations will open shortly after tickets go on sale May 25th, 2019. Tickets will be available through the Green Churches Network starting the 23rd of May for one or both days.

For tickets click here.

Prayers and Resources for People Impacted by Flooding

Image credit: Radio-Canada / Ivanoh Demers

Compassionate God, source of all comfort,
We pray for the people whose lives have been devastated by rain and flood.
Bring them comfort, we pray.
Protect the vulnerable.
Strengthen the weak.
Keep at bay the spread of disease.
Have mercy on all those working to rescue the stranded and to feed the hungry.
And may our response to their suffering be generous and bring you praise.
For we ask it in Jesus name,
Amen.

Quebec has experienced the worst flooding in the recorded history of the province.  More than 10,000 people have been forced from their homes. On the island of Montreal 94 residences were flooded, 49 were surrounded by water and 55 were evacuated. In nearby Ste-Marthe-sur-le-Lac more than 6,000 people were forced to evacuate after a dike was breached last weekend. The flooding left more than one third of the homes in the small town under water.

On April 25th, 50 people were forced from their homes downriver of the Bell Falls dam on the Rouge River due to concerns that the dam could collapse. At least 1,000 Quebercers are known to be in the care of the Red Cross. About 100 volunteers and more than 30 staff are providing support in 11 municipalities and are monitoring the needs of 22 other communities. Flooding has also impacted hundreds of people in New Brunswick and Ontario.

This is the second once in a hundred years flood Quebec has seen in the last three years. As reported by the Guardian, scientists say that climate change plays a role in these floods. More such flooding is expected as the climate continues to warm.

With more rain expected there are concerns that we will see even more flooding in the coming days.

BE PREPARED. If water is starting to flood your home, turn off all electricity to avoid electrocution. Do not drink the water if you are anywhere near flooded areas. For more information on the flooding in Quebec click here. Click here to learn how to prepare for a flood, here to create a home evacuation plan and here to assemble a basic emergency kit. For a detailed guide on floods click here.

Easter and the Environment: Heeding the Call for a Cultural and Spiritual Transformation

The symbolism of Easter offers an opportunity to reflect on the importance of the natural world and the shift of consciousness required for the survival of life on this planet. If we are to find a way forward we urgently need to address climate change and environmental degradation.  To alter our perilous trajectory we need to assume responsibility for the state of our world. Science alone will not take us where we need to go. We need a transformation that will enable us to address the wide range of human activities that are adversely impacting the Earth's ecosystems. Science alone cannot solve the crisis we face, to do that we will need a spiritual and cultural transformation.

Christian Climate Action: Non-Violent Easter Uprising

Christian Climate Action (CCA) is one of the faith groups that is taking part in the UK's Extinction Rebellion (XR).  CCA is an Affinity Group within XR and they are taking part in the International Rebellion that calls for "sustained mass disobedience". CCA is part of a wave of protests that started on April 15th and will continue until at least April 27th.

Caroline Harmon is with the CCA group and she said that her group has received messages of support from Christian communities around the world. Many told her that they are "inspired" by the CCA's protest actions.  "The Extinction Rebellion has brought a lot of new people into the world of activism and tapped into new energy." Harmon said. "We’re really keen to see more Christians get involved."

Right Action: Ten Ways to Minimize your Footprint

God be in my head, and in my understanding; God be in mine eyes, and in my looking; God be in my mouth, and in my speaking: god be in mine heart, and in my thinking; God be at my end, and and my departing. - John Rutter (b. 1945)

This is the fourth installment in the series the Eightfold Path of Environmental Action. This series offers helpful information and tips related to climate change and the environment. It is a companion to The Seed, a short film that will be launched at the end of the Season of Creation on October 4, 2020.

Earth Hour 2019: The Response of Christians in the Anglican Diocese of Montreal to this Year's Theme

Earth Hour takes place on Saturday March 30th between 8:30 pm and 9:30 pm.  Faith communities all around the world are taking part. The theme for year's Earth Hour is nature, specifically speaking up about why nature matters. Christians in the Anglican Diocese of Montreal have done so in a poll that overwhelmingly demonstrates their support for nature. The poll also brings up some important issues regarding action and suggests some approaches that may prove helpful.

To see the results of the poll click here. 

Click here to see the SEC's short film The Seed.

Related
Introducing the SEC's Eightfold Path of Environmental Action
Right Understanding: Knowing the facts about climate change
Right Thought: How we think about the natural world
Right Speech: Effective environmental communications
Right Action: Making smaller footprints
Right Works: Efforts that benefit the planet
Right Effort: Choosing a cause
Right Concentration: Staying focused on creation
Right Mindfulness: Managing ecological stress

SEC's 4th Quarterly Report - Faith Leaders Climate Advocacy at COP24

The SEC's fourth quarterly report for Bishop Mary was prepared by the Stewardship of the Environment Committee (SEC) in January 2019. In addition to reviewing the SEC's fourth quarter efforts, this edition focuses on COP24 and faith leaders climate advocacy.  It also explores why faith leaders are good climate leaders.

Click here to read the report 

As always we welcome your comments and questions.
Richard Matthews, Chair of the SEC

Right Speech: How to Talk about Climate Change

God be in my head, and in my understanding; God be in mine eyes, and in my looking; God be in my mouth, and in my speaking: god be in mine heart, and in my thinking; God be at my end, and and my departing.   - John Rutter (b. 1945)

This is the third installment in the series the Eightfold Path of Environmental Action. This series offers helpful information and tips related to climate change and the environment. It is a companion to The Seed, a short film that will be launched at the end of the Season of Creation on October 4, 2020.