‘When we defile the Earth, we defile ourselves’
Multifaith service stresses the need to protect the planet
LOUISVILLE — The Presbyterian Office of Public Witness helped to lead a multifaith Earth Day celebration Tuesday in Washington, D.C., filled with prayers, reflections and calls to stand against actions that harm God’s Creation.
The Rev. Jimmie Hawkins, director of advocacy for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), prayed to God, “Please help us understand that to have dominion over Creation does not mean domination, but it means stewardship, as we are called to follow your example and value the sacredness of Creation, for when we defile the Earth, we defile ourselves.”
The event, emceed by OPW’s the Rev. Christina Cosby, brought together leaders from various faith traditions, activists and others to recommit to caring for the planet, where the effects of climate change have become more and more apparent.
“Today, millions of people and the very planet are suffering and dying from hunger, from drought, from floods, disease, from suffering and violence caused by climate change,” said keynote speaker Laura Peralta-Schulte, senior director of Public Policy and Government Affairs for Network, a Catholic social justice lobby group.
But there is hope, Cosby said, that “by being together, by praying together, by acting faithfully together, our collective voice and actions will make this Earth a place where this generation, and all generations, will come to find hospitality and the necessities to live with dignity for all.”
The Washington Interfaith Staff Community’s Energy and Ecology Working Group hosted the event in collaboration with speakers from several groups, including the Friends Committee on National Legislation and the Muslim Public Affairs Council. The gathering also included remarks from Leo Confalone, an energy and environment staffer from U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen’s office.
“We are already seeing the impacts of climate change, and that's not just in Maryland. That's in the whole DMV (the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia), which I know you all serve, and the senator is extremely concerned about it,” he said. “We're going to keep pushing back on this administration's actions related to fossil fuels and their support of that industry, their rolling back (of) environmental protections” and the letting go of public servants, including scientists who protect clean air and water.
Confalone also spoke about the importance of advocacy by faith communities, noting, “You are the trusted leaders, and you are the ones who can open minds and open ears to the issue of climate change and advancing clean energy and how important that is.”
Cosby, OPW’s representative for domestic and environmental policy concerns, called for a moment of silence to recognize the passing of Pope Francis, a champion of the environment who died Monday from stroke and cardiac arrest.
“Our hearts and prayers are especially with our Catholic siblings, so let us take a moment of silence to honor the memory of Pope Francis and his faithful witness to the care of our common home,” Cosby said. “In his 2015 encyclical letter, Laudato Si’, Pope Francis stated, ‘The climate is a common good belonging to all and meant for all.’ May this declaration continue to be our guiding hope this Earth Day. May his prophetic voice remind the world that Creation is not a resource to be exploited but a gift to be cherished.”
In her keynote address, Peralta-Schulte said that Earth Day is a celebration of nature’s mysterious beauty and a call to action to protect “our very fragile planet.”
She also spoke about the importance of caring for neighbors who’ve been exposed to environmental pollution, such as lead-contaminated water in Flint, Michigan, and spoke on the need to reject the politics of greed and exploitation.
In closing, she prayed that all leaders would listen to the crying of the Earth and have the courage to act wisely and urgently for healing and restoration.
“We pray for our political leaders, including those in this room,” she added. “We ask that you ground your work in love and build a future that allows the flourishing of everybody.”
The keynote was followed by a time of reflection by several speakers, including Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb, rabbinic adviser to the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL). He talked about the importance of being on the side of liberation.
He also noted, “ We do this for the brilliance of Creation itself, echoing a tradition in our case, that says way back in rabbinic times, even snakes and scorpions and spiders — the things you don't like — they have a place in the scheme of Creation, which (was) exactly echoed in Laudato Si’ when the Holy Father said thousands of species are being lost forever by our hand. ‘We have no such right.’”
Ultimately, action must be taken to protect the environment for the children, Hawkins of PC(USA) said during prayer.
“Your children deserve fresh drinking water, clean air and garbage-free neighborhoods,” he said. “Therefore, we ask that you recreate in us the innocence of the Sixth Day. Remold us into the stewards that we were created to be, blessed to have been made in the image and likeness of a God, who created a world where everyone has enough. This is indeed our prayer, in your holy name.”
You may freely reuse and distribute this article in its entirety for non-commercial purposes in any medium. Please include author attribution, photography credits, and a link to the original article. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDeratives 4.0 International License.
