Protect the Garden

Dear friends,

We are a people fit for this moment. 
In the second creation story, the human is given a sacred task: to keep and till the garden. Rabbis and other Hebrew scholars tell us that the verb we translate as "keep" can just as easily mean "guard" or "protect". This keeping is akin to a shepherd watching over sheep or a beekeeper tending to their hive. It is an oversight rooted not in domination, but in love - a dedication to stand between that which God has given us and those who would destroy it.

We were meant to be Creation's protectors. Wednesday morning, we woke up to a reality where that role will become much harder. Protections for the places we love will likely be rolled back. Regulations intended to protect frontline communities will likely be removed. There may even be discouragement from using terms like "climate change" in the halls of government. To the extent that we ever did, those of us who care for God's Creation will not find a listening ear in places of power.

Though we never wanted this reality, and many of us worked tirelessly against its coming, it is now upon us. And while we may have dreamed of a smoother path forward, the way ahead could not be more clear. Creation's cry has become a full-throated scream.
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Over the last few months there has been a quote that has given me a lot of clarity around the work of Creation Justice Ministries: “In the end, we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand and we will understand only what we are taught.”

“In the end, we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand and we will understand only what we are taught.”

These words were spoken by Senegalese conservationist Baba Dioum. He said this around the same time that Dr. King was trying to move the American conscience toward greater unity and justice. Our work is that of educating people of faith about their place in God's Creation. Our hope is that education turns into understanding, that understanding turns into love and that love turns into action. 

I'm from Pittsburgh, so naturally, one of my heroes is a man by the name of Rev. Dr. Fred Rogers. Mr. Rogers was ordained to his position as a children's television host and while he was many things to children...educator, pastor, friend... he was above all a fierce advocate and protector of them. After his death, footage resurfaced of a senate hearing from 1969 where a young Fred Rogers sat before a hostile senate committee and defended the legitimacy of both his show and the entire enterprise of public broadcasting. It remains to me one of the clearest images of advocacy rooted in love. 

That is the work ahead of us. It's neither to shrink back in fear nor to strike out in hate, but to preach, teach, pray, gather, speak, and act in love.
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In short, while the obstacles are more clear, the work is the same as it's ever been: Seek justice for God's planet and God's people.