Well, I'm back after a week away (sort of) and a sabbatical from blogging. I hope you're still taking a peek from day to day to see if I'm writing.
This is the Day of Prayer for Climate Action, which I suppose should be every day, given the state of the planet. Of course this comes in the midst of a cold snap in Southern Ontario which has left many sputtering in disbelief -- where did Spring go? everyone whines. This shows how we have all become accustomed to changing weather patterns and climate. I grew up with the expectation that April would be the cruellest month, to borrow from T.S. Elliot. We were told not to plant anything tender until near the end of May, for crying out loud. Now we have some strange notion that the end of March is patio weather.
At the beginning of December last year Christian religious leaders joined heads of state and representatives from governments around the world to address climate change. Many pundits felt that there wasn't a prayer of reaching an effective agreement which would actually result in action. We hoped and still do that prayer will make a difference, and that we can develop the resolve necessary to bring about change because God wants us to care for Creation.
Here is a portion of a prayer on the Citizens For Public Justice website for this day.
Creator God,
We come to you in a spirit of awe, wonder, and tremendous gratitude for life on this Earth.
You have cloaked the Earth in an unimaginable beauty that is everywhere we choose to see it – in a budding spring leaf, the falling rain, a crisp mountain lake, and the clear blue sky.
Yet we continue to bring devastation upon the Earth through our over-reliance on fossil fuels.
Today, we lament the pain that our actions have caused...
We know that solutions exist.
Help us, dear God, as we work together in service of the common good.
Strengthen us as we adjust the actions of our daily lives to better reflect our love for the world.
Embolden us to continue to speak truth to power.
Walk with us as we do all these things in response to your call to love and protect the Earth.
In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray,
AMEN.
2 comments:
Amen indeed. I love this prayer, but I would be tempted to add - and probably will - the animals that we obviously don't care about, whether it's poaching elephants or killing dolphins or sharks. We have such disrespect for the planet and its creatures that it really makes me cringe.
Glad you're back from your sabbatical - hey, everyone needs those once in a while. I find your blogs(including your archived ones) to be a source of strength, especially in these trying days for my sisters and me. We are seeing how cruel things can be for aging parents, and that there are fates worse than death.
I do check for your blogs. Glad you had some time off. Renew your soul! I wish I could get your sermons somewhere. I used to read them when you were in Bowmanville but for some reason I can not get them now. I used to have hope for our planet but it is going fast. I have been coming to the U.K. for about 30 years now, twice a year. For the first time in about 15 years I am disgusted with the amount of garbage here. We have be collecting bags of it every day. It is terrible. Just a VERY SMALL example of how people have given up. It is so sad but I see were people are coming from. ""Why bother""
Also that Poutine place in Montreal is awesome!
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