STORIES

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS

This page has been set aside for individuals to describe their thoughts relating to taking care of God's Creation.  Read on and be inspired.

Opinions do not necessarily represent an official position of the Interfaith Creation Care South Metro organization. 
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Interfaith Creation Care South Metro (ICCSM) had the good fortune to sponsor an event at Risen Savior Catholic Church, Burnsville on May 7th, 2024.  The event was called FROM A RIPPLE TO A WAVE: Psychology of (Bigger, Better) Climate Action.  It had as its key note speaker Dr. Christie Manning.  Dr. Manning teaches in the Environmental Studies Department at Macalester College in Minnesota.  You can check out more of what the event covered in the Events and Pictures of Events pages of this website.  Two of her students Solveigh Barney and Inbal Armony joined her at the event and spoke about their personal thoughts about their journey in protecting God's Creation.

This is Solveigh Barney's statement:

MY CLIMATE STORY:

If there is one value that I keep at the center of my life it would be love.  This value of love is rooted in my faith as an Episcopalian but also reveals itself as an underlying universal truth in other faith traditions and ceremonies that I have studied and taken part in.  This value of love also extends to not only the people of this Earth but to "all my relations" as grounded in my Indigenous heritage from the Wind River Shoshone Tribe and the Hupa Valley Tribe.  Every day I have tried to embrace this underlying truth within my life, knowing that love spawns meaning and creates relationships that allow for healing and well-being for all on this planet.  

Despite growing up in a conservative state and being told from a young age that climate change is not real, it was hard to continue to ignore the environmental crisis we are living in.  Changing my mind can be attributed to my value of nature, my faith, and being surrounded by Native-led environmental movements of people who looked like me and my family.  But what ultimately keeps me going in this movement is this core principle of love.  In high school, I was taught that love means, "the decision to will the good of the other," so if I believe this definition to be true, what right do I have to ignore all the environmental harm we are causing to God's good Earth and the beings that occupy it.  

I am more than aware that climate change is all around: the smoke in the air, my sister's house flooding in Vermont, my parent's basement flooding this year because of unprecedented heavy rainfall, fewer storms that once filled my childhood with awe and wonder, plants and crops dying because of an unstable climate, leaving farmers and gardeners with little left, and the list goes on.  I find myself in deep anxiety when I think about my three nephews at the ages of five, two and a half, and one; I wonder how bad is it going to get?  I don't want people to suffer more than they already do, especially those who are close to me.  I want my nephews to grow up in a world that is safe, life-giving, full of love.  Because of them, I have committed myself to this work.  A lot of it centers around Creation Care, bridging the gap, and bringing faith communities into collective action to care for the earth that the Creator has bestowed us to be stewards of.  When all the anxiety, despair, and overwhelmingness creep in, I think of the image of Christ on the cross caring the weight of the world on his shoulders or perhaps the Ojibwe story of the Eagle saving mankind, taking on all the burdens, pain, and suffering of this world because of their love for us.  If I could alleviate any ounce of this suffering for my nephews, for anyone on this planet, I must do all the work that I can do to make it happen. 

This is Inbal Armony's statement:

My Personal Climate Story:

Even though what do you want to be when you grow up has recently changed to what career are you hoping to pursue after college, my answer has remained the same: I'm not sure exactly what or how, but I know it will be about combating climate change.  

I believe I first learned about climate change in sixth grade, but the reasons I care about it were taught to me much earlier.  Growing up in an Israeli family in the US, my parents wanted my siblings and I to learn our cultural roots, values, and language in community.  We all attended a small Jewish school that emphasized the teaching of Jewish values and connecting them to the present.  One of the most important values we were taught is tikkun olam, the Jewish concept that literally translates to "repairing the world."  

What is perhaps most important to understand about tikkun olam is that it is a continual, never ending call for every human to each take responsibility for our world, realize what is broken in it, and actively work to repair it.  Throughout my time attending Jewish schools, this idea of personal responsibility was expanded upon.  

The Torah portion I read for my bat mitzvah was the story of Noah's Arc.  After God flooded the whole world due to humanity's cruelty, he made a covenant with Noah.  This covenant, symbolized by a beautiful rainbow clearing the post-storm sky, passes on responsibility for the earth from God to humans, making all of us responsible for our planet.  As I recited the ancient text in front of my whole community, I called upon everyone to remember that covenant and remember that the responsibility for our earth is ours.  

I said those words in a time when the idea of personal responsibility was bearing a real weight on my shoulders.  I remember intense moments at twelve and thirteen when I told my mom how terrified I felt of climate change and how little we were all doing.  I felt a real pressure on my shoulders and on my chest, I told her.  In response, my mom would console me and say it was not all up to me, that it was everyone's responsibility to do something about it.

I first felt this weight being lifted on September 20th, 2019.  I had just heard about Greta Thunberg: a Swedish girl exactly my age who was calling the world's attention to the climate crisis.  On that sunny Friday I took the T into Boston with my friends, all of us getting our first "unexcused absences," and joined Thunberg's international School Strike for Climate.  Suddenly I was surrounded by fellow highschool students, with colorful posters and loud voices, all feeling the same responsibility, the same pressure, that I felt.  While I may not have realized it then, this was the very power of collective action.

I soon joined my town's newly created Sunrise Movement hub and met even more like minded peers.  I learned that everyone had their own sources of motivation, some like mine, some different.  I felt like a part of something, moving and growing and gaining momentum.  The Green New Deal seemed like the large-scale policy embodiment of tikkun olam, and the upcoming elections felt like the funnel for all our hopes.  That summer I worked for Senator Markey's successful re-election campaign, calling voters everyday and saying: I'm sixteen years old and I'm terrified about climate change, about my future.  I can't vote yet but you can.  Will you vote for Ed Markey?  Will you vote for climate solutions?  The personal responsibility, my personal covenant, was ever present.  But it was present in an empowering way, not a paralyzing one.  

I've learned a lot more about climate change since then, pursued many different forms of action since, and I know that whatever job I will end up in, it will be about combating climate change.  But in all these past and future endeavors, the source of my responsibility has remained true.  I think it is best encapsulated by my mom's favorite Jewish line, which reads, In a place where there are no people, strive to be a human being.

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CARING FOR CREATION by Andrew Hartley, a recent new member to ICCSM from New York. He posted this article to his church's monthly newsletter in December 2020.  His church is Elma United Methodist Church, Elma, NY.

Caring for creation is part of loving God and loving our neighbor. It is responsibly serving and protecting Earth (as God commands), and ensuring the air, water, soil, etc. our neighbor depends on--their life-support system--remain clean and productive.

Many Bible passages reflect the importance of creation care, starting with Genesis 1:28 in which God commands humans to exercise "dominion" over all living things. As explained in our August congregational newsletter this "dominion" is gentle, caring and loving, similar to how a good shepherd looks after his/her flock: safeguarding the weak, binding up the wounded, healing the sick, and bringing home the lost.

We also see the importance of creation care in God's lamentations, according to Ezekiel, over how some Israelites were spoiling natural resources for others:

"Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet?" (Ezek 34:18-19)

Plainly, obeying God entails tending and keeping the planet. How we treat Earth is a spiritual decision. If we are in tune with God, walking by the Spirit, then we will ask ourselves, often, whether we are "trampling God's pastures" and "muddying the water" others need to drink. Everything we buy, every trip we take, and everything we discard affects the well-being of Earth and all of us who depend on Earth. Want to see how? For starters, check out https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/everything-you-do-has-impact-planet-5348437.html (don't worry...British websites, like this, are polite and non-confrontational!).  And if you estimate your ecological footprint at http://www.footprintcalculator.org/ , and want to discuss with me, email me at khahstats@yahoo.com.  Andrew Hartley

Creation Care Tip

In the winter, most of us spend lots of time in-doors, making it a great time to scour the house for unwanted, gently-used toys, clothes, and household goods. Free up space at home, save space in the landfill, and give those articles new life with people who need them.  Avoiding manufacturing pollution and reducing waste are great ways to care for creation. If no suitable donation sites are conveniently located for you and you can't wait for the next church bazaar, then visit https://www.givebackbox.com/ for easy-to-make-a-difference shipping instructions (Note that you will be reusing the shipping boxes too! Good for all!).

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GOING GREEN by Kay Erickson (Testimonial at Healthy Planet Healthy People 11/2017)

Have you ever gotten a burst of energy and created something?  Whenever I’ve made a batch of strawberry jam, or written a poem or made an album of family memories, I’m very protective of it.  I share my precious creations with my family and friends, and because they love me, they appreciate it and take good care of it.

Well, God had a burst of creative energy and he got a 6-day project going.  He saw that it was good and then he entrusted it to me.  And because I love him, I want to take good care of it.   The way I see it, God and I have a collaboration going here.  He’s the creator and I’m the steward.  And because our relationship is important to me, I want to do everything I can to honor his creation.

In 2013 my husband, Chris, and I joined the Prince of Peace Creation Care small group.  It’s been a wonderful, frightful journey of learning and taking action.   I’ll be honest with you.  I’m worried about how we humans are going to cope with the changes in our habitat.  Recent extreme weather events have underscored the urgency for preventive action.  Glaciers may be all but gone from Glacier National park by the time our youngest granddaughter graduates from high school in 2031, and our polar ice is melting at an alarming rate.  But I’m also finding a lot of hope, because I know I can make choices that do make a difference. 

One small action, taken by a lot of people, can really add up.  And that’s why we’ve taken a good look at some of our day-to-day habits.

We take our own reusable bags not only to the grocery store, but also Walgreen’s, Target and the mall.  We now also take reusable fruit and vegetable bags with us.  No more plastic bags coming

home from the produce department.

I use the “quick wash” cycle on our washing machine.   It saves the equivalent of 19 loads a year.

We installed a setback thermostat.   It goes down to 60 at night, 68 in the day during the winter.  We rarely use our air conditioner, and when we do, it’s set conservatively.

We have changed out all our bulbs and holiday lights to LEDs.

We try to leave our cars in the garage more often by planning shopping and appointments all on one day. 

We’re taking shorter, less frequent showers.  Chris gets in and out fast.  I’ve gone to every other day, using a washcloth in between.  So far, my friends will still sit by me in choir.

We’ve unplugged everything that we aren’t using, or that draws energy even when it isn’t being used.

We’ve cut back our newspaper to just the Sunday edition and read it online during the week.

We have begun composting our kitchen waste.  We hardly ever use our garbage disposal.  And we are mindful of reducing our food waste.

We have signed up for Dakota Electric’s Wellspring Renewable Energy program.  The InterFaith Creation Care team is planning a competition to see how many of our church members we can get to sign up.  You’ll be hearing more about this in the New Year.

We took Dakota County’s Master Recycler/Composter class.  It’s an amazing educational experience and includes tours of local recycling and composting facilities.  It’s offered twice a year.

Last month, my hairdryer became erratic…. it would not turn off!  Did I go to Target and get a new one?  No, I took it to the Fix-It Clinic and two volunteers made it work again.  One pound kept out of the landfill.

In August of 2017, Chris and I rolled our investment accounts into fossil free Socially Responsible Investments.  (SRIs)

We have a big 4^th of July party every year.  It is now a zero waste party. 

My next step, which may have the biggest impact, is to purchase an electric car, when my 2003 Camry bites the dust.

That’s really what it’s all about: challenging myself to take the next steps in becoming a better steward of my God’s creation.

 

WHAT’S THE NEXT STEP FOR YOU?


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WE ALL HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY by Bill Middlecamp (Testimonial at Healthy Planet Healthy People 11/ 2017)

I am a United Methodist Earthkeeper—a missionary in the care of God’s creation. Today, I’d like to share with you a little bit about why and how I got to this point in my life.

I was raised in a large family—14 people. We were almost poor, but not really. My father worked six-day weeks and twelve-hour days to provide enough, but dividing by 14, means everything must be stretched. Resources were tight, but love was abundant. Everyone worked from a young age to earn money. We shared everything: clothes, toys. Food was rationed—I got my hand slapped for taking an extra piece of meat. We learned to enjoy what was free, such as camping and exploring nature. And we were devout Catholics.
God has gifted me with insatiable curiosity. I never grew out of that childhood phase of asking why, why, why, which steered me into science and technology. I studied physics and climatology, and got my degrees in Meteorology and Computer Science, the latter being my career. I’ve never stopped asking why—just ask my long-suffering wife!
I am a child of the 60’s. I wish there were a great-big switch I could flip for one day to show how badly we were destroying the environment back then. We responded with the Clean Water and Clean Air acts. We got rid of leaded gas and learned to stop throwing trash out the window. We had the first Earth Day. There was a lot of complaining by industries whose ox was being gored by regulations, but what right did they have to harm God’s people? What justifies irresponsible behavior?
America has come a long way since then with some very clever innovations.

Old industries were transformed. New industries were created. Our lives are richer and healthier now. We power our homes and cars far more efficiently. The air, water, and landscape are far cleaner. We live more comfortable and richer lives. These transformations did not require suffering. The short cuts we had been taking in the name of profit were not necessary, and had been doing great harm.
Back in my college studies, a seed was planted in me about a growing concern that is greater than these other problems we have learned to manage. Scientists had realized that atmospheric chemistry was changing in ways that have very long term effects harmful to all life. They began to measure these changes in the late 50’s, and learned enough to issue a warning to President Johnson in 1965. I came across a paper in the mid 70’s that theorized how these changes could have contributed to an extended drought in the region south of the Sahara.
I watched with curiosity for three decades, as the scientific understanding of these processes grew more refined. The technological advances that showed promise for addressing the problems we are creating delighted me, and I used many of them in my own home and life. But, about ten years ago, I had an epiphany.

There are powerful forces working to take away our freedom to protect the life-sustaining purity of God’s Creation. My training and curiosity had led me to the realization that I have a personal responsibility to help solve this problem. Scientists cannot solve this problem alone. Our politicians won’t solve this if we do not demand it. We all have a role to play.
That this has led to a rejuvenation of my faith in God has been a big surprise to me. The teachings of nearly every faith include a mandate to steward God’s creation in service to all life. My Christian faith requires me to love my neighbor, which means I cannot ignore the harm that comes from my life in this society and falls on disadvantaged souls in future times, and lands far from mine. Jesus called this the second great commandment. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus taught that a busy and important life does not absolve one from a lack of compassion and empathy.

So, now, I have a mission, and I am a missionary. My mission is to challenge, but not judge, our society to do what must be done. In my small way, I am holding up a sign that says, “Do not be afraid.” Do not be afraid—we can solve this with less suffering and more freedom than if we let our fears paralyze us. I invite you to join me, join us.

 







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SO, WHICH PATH WILL YOU FOLLOW?  By Chris Erickson

I don’t understand a lot of things, but the one thing I understand least is the reason why some find it necessary to “demonize” anyone who disagrees with them. We feel a need to show they are not just wrong, but deluded or “in cahoots” with bad influences bent on destroying what any “sensible” person must obviously see is” right”. This, I believe is the case with some on both sides of the issue of climate change. My question is, why? Are the folks who want to show that there isn’t any anthropomorphic cause to climate change trying to say that there isn’t a problem, or just trying to shift responsibilities to a “natural” process that is beyond anyone’s ability to influence? Are the folks who claim that we ARE the problem just trying to divert attention away from more important, “doable” issues, wasting precious time and opportunities in the process?
When I think about this, my mind gets all jumbled and messed up trying to separate the “good” from the” bad” and coming up with reasons to justify my own stand. I am fighting with myself to try to return to what I think is a better solution.
We are called as a matter of faith by God, as recorded in scripture, to be good stewards of the gifts we have been given. That includes all of the natural wonders of the world AND each other. A glance at the great photos made

possible by our space program reminds us how precious and fragile this earth, our home, is. When I was a working man, I espoused the theory that we are all “customers” of each other, because what I do affects what is done by the person next to me or further on down the assembly line of life. It is in our best interest to do a good job in our cubicle because it contributes to a better end product. And there are not only” external” customers who use our end product, but “internal” customers who all work together to get the job done.
So it is in my best interest to use the resources God has given me wisely, because others depend upon my actions, and I depend upon theirs. If I find that someone along the line is not doing a good job, or causing a disruption in the product line that will result in an ”inferior product”, I can’t just eliminate or discredit the work of that individual. It is better to work to bring the system back into functional harmony, through education, retraining, redirecting.
I look at the world around me and believe that it is NOT what God would intend it to be given the great gifts and resources we have been entrusted with. I see not only the disfigurement of the land by commercial overuse, and the pollution of our atmosphere by chemicals and waste products of our consumption, but also the devastation of people being denied the right to life, liberty, dignity and the ability to be good stewards of the gifts THEY have likewise been given by our Creator. I see devastation of landscapes and people by overconsumption and an apathetic anesthesia caused by our intent to “just take care of our own business” at the expense of ignoring its consequences upon the people around us.
What kind of world do we want to leave for our great, great grandchildren? Consider the vast changes in our world since our own great, great grandfathers were alive. What we do DOES make a difference

to others, and will have a profound impact upon our children’s children’s children. The old adage of “don’t point fingers because for every one finger pointed at others, there are three pointed back to you” stills seems appropriate.
What we do about all these problems IS important and crucial to not only our own enjoyment of this life, but the ability of others to enjoy it, including generations yet unborn. This world may not be our home, as the song goes, but I am not just passing through. My “treasure” may be held for me “somewhere beyond the blue”. But right now my gifts of health, wealth, peacefulness, dignity, and purpose are integrally connected to people standing next to me, and those a world and generations away. What I do is important. What you do is important, too. In our world of rapidly expanding populations and increased mobility, we are being put face to face with issues and peoples we never had to consider before. We never considered what effect our actions had on others so far away, because we didn’t see them, or consider them. Now we CAN see them and we can’t avert our gaze any longer.

When we come face to face with our Creator, will He say “Thou good and faithful (steward). You have been faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your Master’s happiness.” Or will He say “I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirst and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you did not invite me in. I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me. Truly I tell you, whatever you did NOT do for the least of these, you did not do for me.”

Choose THIS day which path you will follow. URLUVD

Chris Erickson is a member of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Burnsville Creation Care small group.