Environmental sustainability is a spiritual issue

April 19, 2015
Third Sunday of Easter

Rev. Amy Welin: You may recall the discussion I had with my son regarding the viability of our lawn. James was convinced that it was dead, because it was all yellow and matted after the snows of winter. I was expecting a resurrection. I am happy to report that after all these weeks, now the green blades riseth. The lawn still needs some work, and I am grateful that Christ has redeemed the lawn by his rising on Easter.

The collect for the Third Sunday of Easter is well-suited to the Sunday that we read the story of the miracle on the road to Emmaus, when the risen Christ reveals himself in the breaking of bread. In today’s gospel reading, using a passage later in Luke, Jesus also reveals himself in Jerusalem, first by eating a bit of fish and then by breaking open the Scriptures that his followers might understand. The intersection of the Collect and lessons this week is this: we can encounter the Risen Christ in the bread and wine because of the way that Jesus has been revealed in all the Scriptures.

What really jumps out from this Collect (for me) is that we need our eyes to be opened to consider all the redeeming work of Christ. Our response to the Holy Eucharist must extend beyond our gratitude for the Communion. We do not live by bread alone, but by all the word of God, which formed the universe. Our spiritual life has a connection to the life of all creation. We spend significant time considering our spiritual sustainability in church. Let’s also consider environmental sustainability as a theme of the new life of Easter.

I was not being entirely hyperbolic about the redemption of the lawn. Jesus did not just redeem us. Jesus redeemed the whole of creation. There is abundant scriptural evidence for this. Psalm 24 reminds us that the earth band all that is in it belong to God. Isaiah speaks of the peaceable kingdom, filled with knowledge of the Lord, in which all creatures coexist (Isaiah 11.6-9). The Letter to the Colossians points out that through the work of Christ, all of creation is reconciled to God and is restored to proper order (Colossians 1.20). According to Revelation (5.8-13), all creatures will join in the praise of God. The reign of God that is now and is yet to be completely fulfilled will encompass far more than just the faithful members of churches. The reign of God is for all people and for all creation, extending past the inclusion our beloved animal companions to embrace mountains, hill, and seas.

I think that most of us know this intuitively, even if we haven’t spent a lot of time working it out theologically. Why do you think that the scriptures speak about God’s interest in redeeming creation? Could it be that the Creator has a continuing interest in the created realms? Could it be that God loves the earth and planets and waters at least as much as God loves us? (Let’s face it: the mountains, hills, and seas do not give God as much trouble as human beings do!)

Environmental sustainability is a spiritual issue. Creation is suffering on its own cross. California is plagued by the deepest drought in over 1,000 years, and the farms that supply 50% of our supermarkets’ produce may dry up. The warming of the oceans is melting the polar ice caps and glaciers. Yes, the Northeast just had the coldest winter in many years. The climate of the entire globe is in transition, and scientists worry that we have brought ourselves deep into an environmental crisis. There are many who believe that a Third World War may be fought over access to clean water. In the Christian tradition, the respect and care for creation have moral and ethical dimensions. The Pope, the Episcopal Presiding Bishop, and millions of ordinary Christians insist that we must address this crisis.

In 1970, Gaylord Nelson, Senator from Wisconsin, organized a popular movement to bring environmental issues to the forefront of our national political agenda. The forty-fifth anniversary of Earth Day is this week, and now it has an international scope. How can we allow our eyes to be opened to the seriousness of the environmental crisis? How can we respond within the framework of our ordinary lives?

In regular life, we can live with serious environmental awareness in five simple practical choices.

1. EAT LESS MEAT
We do not have to be vegetarian to have a major impact. If a person eats just six fewer 4-oz burgers per year it’ll save as much water as not showering for a whole year. Why? It can take 2,400 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef, the same amount of water as a 20-hour shower.

We could try a meatless Monday. You could also switch your choice of meat. Eating chicken and turkey uses 75% less water than eating beef.

2. DO NOT WASTE FOOD
Food production uses water. One egg requires about 50 gallons of water. If we use our leftovers, we conserve water.

3. GO PAPERLESS
Use email. And do not print it out. Read digital books. Do your banking and pay your bills online. To produce one sheet of paper uses nearly 3 gallons of water.

4. RE-USE AND RECYCLE
Recycling one soda can saves enough electricity to run a television for three hours. Use a refillable water bottle and keep plastic bottles out of landfills.

5. AND SPEAKING OF LAWNS
Use fewer chemicals or try organic lawn care. Do you know that installing a bird bath and a birdhouse will attract robins, who love to eat grubs.

If you want to make a global difference, beginning locally, sign up for 30 Days of Action, developed by the Episcopal Church to empower each of us and our communities of faith as we care for God’s Creation. Celebrate Earth Day by making a personal commitment to honor God and the earthly creation.

And do not be afraid to share your thoughts about environmental sustainability as a spiritual act. Go forth to proclaim as the apostles did, because the world depends on us. Let your moderation be known to all (Phillipians 4.5).

Resources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-j-rose/how-to-take-long-showers_b_6875644.html
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/30-days-action