I have had a passion for the environment for a long time.
There are so many pictures of myself at a very young age at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh just ridiculously excited about learning about the planet and the magnificent things that it does. I spent a lot of my time growing up outside at what we called, "The Creek," near my house, a small tributary off of the Falls of Neuse River that led to a cascade of different large rocks and tree trunks that led to a tiny pond of collected water at the bottom of a waterfall. This place became a place where I could go to "escape" whatever elementary or middle school drama I had. Even throughout high school I remember taking my friends and my boyfriend there when I needed to talk about something or reflect on something when I knew I might need the comfort of the nature around me. On the night that I decided to be baptized, I was sitting near the shore of Kure Beach looking at a nearly perfectly clear sky. I couldn't understand how something so brilliantly beautiful as the stars and the universe and the Earth I was sitting on could exist without a God to create them. As I looked into the sky, I felt as if I truly saw for the first time, and felt even, that cradling feeling of being cared for by God. That connection that I made between nature and God didn't stop and even became stronger as I found even more of an interest in the environment after taking AP Environmental Science in high school. This was the first time I was even really exposed to some of the impact that we have on the planet. I decided to attend college at a school nestled in the middle of the mountains where I was only 10 or 20 minutes away from some pretty spectacular views and places to be emerged in nature. Then, I decided to study Sustainable Development with a concentration in environmental studies. The strong passion that was developing for sustainability stemmed not only from my experiences within nature, but my experiences with a loving God who has blessed us with the beauty of this planet. Issues of environmental concern, like climate change, have been in a huge spotlight recently as our current federal administration holds as stance against climate change. The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has promised to end billions in climate change spending, including large cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and most recently, a shocking statement to leave the Paris Climate Agreement, the largest international agreement towards zero emissions in history. Before making this decision, Trump received a letter from Pope Francis on his visit to the Vatican as part of a traditional exchange of gifts. This letter was no ordinary letter, as it was an encyclical letter (to all Roman bishops) directly addressing the importance of caring for the planet. In this letter, the Pope issues a call-to-action with 6 chapters following addressing different environmental issues and his responses to them. One of my favorite sections is under the chapter titled, "The Gospel of Creation." The section reads: "We are not God. The earth was here before us and it has been given to us. This allows us to respond to the charge that Judaeo-Christian thinking, on the basis of the Genesis account which grants man “dominion” over the earth (cf. Gen 1:28), has encouraged the unbridled exploitation of nature by painting him as domineering and destructive by nature. This is not a correct interpretation of the Bible as understood by the Church. Although it is true that we Christians have at times incorrectly interpreted the Scriptures, nowadays we must forcefully reject the notion that our being created in God’s image and given dominion over the earth justifies absolute domination over other creatures. The biblical texts are to be read in their context, with an appropriate hermeneutic, recognizing that they tell us to “till and keep” the garden of the world (cf. Gen 2:15). “Tilling” refers to cultivating, ploughing or working, while “keeping” means caring, protecting, overseeing and preserving. This implies a relationship of mutual responsibility between human beings and nature. Each community can take from the bounty of the earth whatever it needs for subsistence, but it also has the duty to protect the earth and to ensure its fruitfulness for coming generations. “The earth is the Lord’s” (Ps 24:1); to him belongs “the earth with all that is within it” (Dt 10:14). Thus God rejects every claim to absolute ownership: “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with me” (Lev 25:23)." I took a "Farm Operations" class as part of my Sustainable Development major. I really really hated it. It was out on a farm all day every other Friday from 8 in the morning until 5 at night. I think my favorite day was the day were we had to catch the chickens to move them, but other than that this class just further solidified the fact that I really REALLY do not want to be a farmer. But what it did do was that it taught me to have an appreciation for the amount of work that goes into creating food. "Tilling" and "keeping" like the Pope refers to here isn't quite as easy as it sounds. And it's the same way when we use these terms to refer to our relationship with the planet. It isn't always easy, it isn't always convenient, but much like if we didn't till and keep our plants we wouldn't eat, if we don't till and keep the Earth, at some point, we will not longer be able to live. For me, caring for the environment goes far beyond politics. This isn't an issue of democrat or republican, or any other political party for that matter. Not only should we care about the planet because it was such an incredible gift from God, but also because our inability to take care of it is now even directly affecting humans, those made directly in God's image. I'll close this post with words from Pope Francis' letter that I believe perfectly sum up the call-to-action of the solidarity and unity that is required in moving towards saving our home. "I urgently appeal, then, for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet. We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all. The worldwide ecological movement has already made considerable progress and led to the establishment of numerous organizations committed to raising awareness of these challenges. Regrettably, many efforts to seek concrete solutions to the environmental crisis have proved ineffective, not only because of powerful opposition but also because of a more general lack of interest. Obstructionist attitudes, even on the part of believers, can range from denial of the problem to indifference, nonchalant resignation or blind confidence in technical solutions. We require a new and universal solidarity. As the bishops of Southern Africa have stated: “Everyone’s talents and involvement are needed to redress the damage caused by human abuse of God’s creation”. All of us can cooperate as instruments of God for the care of creation, each according to his or her own culture, experience, involvements and talents." "ALL of us can cooperate as instruments of God for the care of creation, each according to his or her own culture, experience, involvements and talents." Let us till, let us keep, let us be guided by a God who created this beautiful planet for us. -Simply Nat You can read the entire letter written by Pope Francis HERE
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