The world knows we are facing a severe climate crisis. Scientists tell us how little time we have left to respond. Our leaders talk of change but the pace of action is painfully slow. As Christians, are we feeling some urgency in God’s call to be good stewards of this beautiful and suffering creation? Are we looking for solutions?
This is a collective problem. Together we have made this mess and together we must clean it up. It will take everyone doing something. Every action big or small matters.
One of many good actions we can take is to participate in the worldwide Anglican Communion Forest Project. Trees contribute so much to the quality of life on earth. They provide life-giving oxygen in exchange for carbon dioxide! They foster biodiversity, help to clean water, provide homes for wildlife and so much more.
Our church, St. Philip’s, Milford, has accepted Bishop Michael’s challenge to plant 160 trees in honour of our diocesan anniversary, in response to the Anglican Communion Forest Project. I look forward to planting and caring for the three seedlings my husband and I have purchased. At my age I wonder if I will still be here when they mature. This reminds me of the story that is told in which a 100 year old man is observed planting a fig tree. When asked if he expects to enjoy the fruit of this tree his reply goes something like this: “My ancestors planted for me, and I now plant for my children.” This is the attitude we need to solve the climate crisis we face. God’s love has no barriers, let’s not put any on ours. Let’s ask ourselves how our actions will affect the next seven generations.
More actions we might consider include providing prayer and or financial support for people or organisations already doing great work for the environment. We might join a group of like minded people and learn from what they are doing. There are several online groups and many in our communities. Does your church have a green group? If not, might you be the person to start one? Would you be interested in joining the Diocese of Ontario Green Group? You can contact us at [email protected]. We would love to hear from you. What actions are you taking that you might want to share with others?
In the spirit of communal effort, in the fall we, the Diocese of Ontario Green Group, hope to host a gathering of green groups and other like minded people. The purpose is to discuss goals and actions and to consider what things we are doing that are working and which ones are not. We would also like to find ways that we can all work together more. This event will be promoted in eNews and Dialogue.
For more information about our group and for more ideas on what we can do to take action on climate change, please have a look at our website at: https://www.ontario.anglican.ca/creation-care.
Stewardship Reflections with the Ven. Wayne Varley