Patricia McSherry writing to Prime Minister Trudeau at Spanish Banks Creek to tell him his leadership is required to keep our water clean.
Several actions, writings and gatherings illustrate a groundswell of local concern about environmental issues, and interest in the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference to be held in Paris November 30 – December 11. The “meeting of all countries which want to take action for the climate” is expected to achieve a legally binding and universal agreement on future action.
Here are some of the signs which suggest the wide support for action in our local churches and in the community at large.
Climate welcome for Trudeau
Water from rivers, lakes and coastlines at risk from tar sands pipelines were delivered to Justin Trudeau’s official residence November 7.
Partnering with 350.org and other like-minded groups, the Salal and Cedar Watershed Discipleship Community (which “helps Christians and others grow in love of place and commitment to eco-justice”) took part in a Climate Welcome for Canada’s new prime minister.
On November 7, water samples from rivers, lakes and coastlines at risk from tar sands pipelines were delivered to Justin Trudeau’s official residence, in order to “shine a spotlight on grassroots movements across Canada that have been fighting to defend their communities and our climate from reckless pipeline expansion.”
Rev. Elizabeth Mathers, a deacon at St. Clement’s Anglican Church, with members of the church’s Sunday school.
It involves delivering solar panels and other gifts along with a wave of strong actions calling for an end to tar sands and pipeline expansions. As part of this sea to sea to sea action I put out a call to see if folks wanted to join with me to pray at the water source nearest my office (Spanish Banks Creek, Pacific Spirit Park, Musqueam) and send messages and water off to Sussex Avenue.
The response was so enthusiastic that I was able to be involved (in different ways) in five different collecting events:
Sunday school students from St. Clement’s taking samples from Coleman Creek, right near the church.
* St Clement’s Anglican in North Van used their Sunday School time October 25 to collect water from Coleman Creek.
* Some St. Hilda’s Sechelt folk collected from the Salish Sea on the 23rd at the outdoor eucharist prior to their anti-racism training.
* Salal and Cedar collected water on the 27th.
* On the 29th, quite a large group [met] at Little Campbell River in South Surrey. * That afternoon a more ‘spiritual but not religious’ group from Windsor House School went to McKay Creek in North Vancouver.
The group at Little Campbell River.
One of the Little Campbell River group [at A Rocha Canada] wrote:
Dear Mr. Trudeau: We have longed for change. You have promised change. We ask that you would be a promisekeeper as it pertains to our watershed and all the living creatures that rely on it. May you have great wisdom as you go to the climate change summit in Paris.
The Prophet Earth
Earthkeepers: Christians for Climate Justice joined a 350.org event July 4; Kaleeg Hainsworth is in the centre and Jason Wood is to his right.
A relatively new group in town (here is a brief story about one of their first actions) is made up of “Christians in Vancouver, Coast Salish Territories, who are working out the teachings of Jesus in regards to issues of ecology and climate change.” Earthkeepers: Christians for Climate Justice “invites all Christians to respond faithfully to God in light of contemporary issues of climate change and ecological degradation.”
An old professor and mentor during my seminary days used to say, ‘listening is love in action.’ I have returned to this phrase many times over the years, but never more than now.
We humans are facing what Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, called ‘multiple global emergencies’ during his speech to the 70th General Assembly of the United Nations.
Several decades of successive wars in the Middle East have resulted in a refugee crisis which is unprecedented in history and on a scale which is unimaginable with no end in sight. The world order itself is also unravelling, as was evident to anyone following the UN Assembly this year, and there are massive demographic and economic shifts occurring right now around the world. What is more, Pope Francis claimed recently that we are fully engaged in a ‘piecemeal third world war.’
But their cry is part of a larger problem. We must also listen to the earth itself, which may indeed be the prophet of God for our times. A prophet’s role is not fortune or future telling; rather, a prophet in the biblical sense is someone who speaks the word of God into the current world and who expresses what we need to hear now. The outcome, whether we act upon or disregard the prophet’s words, is up to us, as is the future.Kaleeg Hainsworth is the author of An Altar in the Wilderness, published late last year. He is an ecologist, speaker, Orthodox priest and father of three. Go here and here for the full comment.
Forum on Climate Change
Streams of Justice will be hosting a Forum on Climate Change next Monday (November 16) at Grandview Calvary Baptist Church:
Climate Conversations
Vancouver First Christian Reformed Church will host Climate Conversations November 19. Noting that its denomination has representatives going to the UN conference in Paris, the church states: “We want to have a conversation about how we can respond and advocate to our government locally, and listen to how God is calling us to care for creation.”
Global Climate Change March
A Global Climate Change March will take place November 29, 1 pm, at Vancouver Art Gallery. Jason Wood of Earthkeepers says:
On the day before this year’s climate summit in Paris, individuals, communities and organizations all around the world will take to the streets, united by one global message: Keep fossil fuels in the ground and finance a just transition to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050.
He points out that a number of Christian and faith groups will be participating in this event, including KAIROS, the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, Earthkeepers and Fossil Free Faith.
Earthkeeping: A Climate for Change
Admittedly, Earthkeeping: A Climate for Change took place in the spring, but the theme carries on all year round with A Rocha. They filled the Chan Centre by inviting well known evangelical climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe and a stellar panel to respond to her: Peter Robinson, CEO of the David Suzuki Foundation joined Preston Manning, president and CEO of The Manning Centre and founder of the Reform Party of Canada, and Jeff Greenman, president and professor of theology and ethics at Regent College. Hayhoe also played a major role in Regent College’s annual pastors’ conference, Holy Ground – Answering God’s Call to Creation Care.
A Climate of Change
More recent, and equally significant for the city church, was the Climate of Change symposium October 21, in which Mayor Gregor Robertson and Roman Catholic Archbishop Michael Miller were joined by representatives from a wide range of environmental, Indigenous, civic and denominational groups to discuss Laudato Si’, Pope Francis’s new encyclical addressing the world’s ecological crisis.
Forum on Fracking
KAIROS Canada also sponsored a Forum on Fracking October 30 – 31. “Fracking activities,” they noted, “have led to problems with respect to water consumption, air and water contamination, greenhouse gas emissions and induced seismic activity.” (To watch video presentations go here.)
National efforts
There have been many national initiatives as well. For example, Citizens for Public Justice is urging Prayers for Paris and the president of the Canadian Council of Churches commended to Trudeau their statement: On Promoting Climate Justice and Ending Poverty in Canada.
I am interested in finding out what Christian groups are doing for the Climate March Nov 29th at the Vancouver Art Gallery?