Crossroads - Monday Musing, April 25, 2022

Dear Church,

Crossroads. A point at which a crucial decision must be made that will have far-reaching consequences. On Earth Day last Friday, a newspaper editorial wrote, “The Earth is warming at an unprecedented rate and its inhabitants – us – aren’t doing enough to stop it.” IPCC Chair Hoesung Lee said in a statement earlier this month, “We are at a crossroads. The decisions we make now can secure a liveable future. We have the tools and know-how required to limit warming.” Earth Day began as an environmental movement in 1970. People wiser and more knowledgeable than I have been closely watching the science related to the global environment for fifty-two years. We should heed Jim Skea’s dire predictions, “It’s now or never.”

I do not feel qualified to pontificate on climate change, global warming, air pollution, and the host of environmental issues facing our community, The Cape, our nation, and the world. I do not mean to imply that I do not care about those issues – we all do. For me, it’s simply a matter of it being complex. I do not possess the technical expertise to be a competent messenger. But like anyone who cares about any issue in the public realm, I know that people only talk about issues that are on their radar screen. I may not know what I’m talking about, but you are reading my radar screen!

So what should you and I be doing about the varied environmental concerns we face? I know it is not possible for us to jump on every issue out there. Is inaction an option? We are at a crossroads - it’s now or never. That sounds dire. We should absorb the Chinese proverb, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” A single step? Our church has reached a Level Three rating (of four) as a Green Congregation. Do we stop? What more are we currently doing; what more can we do?

If our congregation is committed to living the love and justice of Jesus, our radar screen could be widened to include work on climate justice and the restoration of God’s creation on which all life depends. As a community of faith, we cannot do it all, but we can work in ways to recognize this gift God has given us – to care for, preserve, and protect this holy ground called earth. The work ahead of us is not a marathon, it is a relay. We carry the baton for a while, then pass it on to the next person. Tag, you’re it. See you in church!

Faithfully,

Darren