This great globe of grace,
this undeserved blessing that we call the Earth does so much for
us...does the Earth want anything from us?
According to Isaiah, God gave the Earth a job to do:
- He who created the heavens,
he is God;
- he who fashioned and made the
earth, he founded it;
- he did not create it to be empty,
but formed it to be inhabited.
- Isaiah 45:18
The Earth has a big job: provide a good
home, a shalom home, for the vast millions of species God saw
fit to put here.
If you had a job that big, wouldn't you
need some help with it?
Help me do my job ... help me provide
for the billions of members of your species ... and the other
millions of species that God has created.
To celebrate Earth Day (April 22), we
encourage you to help the Earth do her job in these ways:
Enjoy yourself – go outside
and walk, hike, garden, or relax and enjoy being at home on
Earth.
Express yourself – make up your own prayer to give
thanks to God for what you appreciate most about living on the
Earth.
Affirm yourself – make a list of all the things
you now do to honor the Earth, especially in reducing water,
energy, gas, food or plastic consumption.
Challenge yourself – do something new to help the
Earth and our poorest neighbors ... find a new way to consume
less water, energy, gas, food or plastic.
Engage yourself – witness to and encourage your
family, friends, congregation, workplace, and elected officials
to make Earth-honoring choices.
By helping the Earth do her job better,
we might just get better at doing our job as Christians:
'Love the Lord your God with all your
heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with
all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor
as yourself.'
There is no commandment greater than these.
- Mark 12:30-31
Happy Earth Day from the Episcopal Ecological
Network Leadership Team.
The Episcopal Ecological Network
is a grassroots network of lay and clergy Episcopalians around
the US. Our mission is to encourage hope and faithful action
through the Episcopal Church regarding ecological concerns.
Visit us online and be part
of those encouraging hope and faithful action.
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