Day 8: Care of all of Creation

Today: another good day. First of all, I saw some friends from seminary for the first time in a few years; in many ways, this is a family reunion---a great big gathering of people whom you have known and who have touched your life and heart throughout the years and you get to meet face-to-face. Pretty darn awesome.

We had a listening session with the House of Bishops on Creation Care. So, now at the Beloved Community, we need to form a Creation Care team. We do so much with water justice; I am sure God is calling to us to more ways (as two churches and as individuals) to take steps to take care of all of Creation---particularly this fragile earth, our island home. We listened to Bernadette, a woman of the Gwich'in people, an indigenous people of Alaska and Canada. She shared the devastation and oppression her people live with daily as our country (and this administration particularly) have gutted the Arctic---ruining the ecosystem that sustains the Gwich'in people. The Artic Natural Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is being gutted and decimated for greed and profit.  People: we have got to get vocal about this and use our political influence to make a change. My heart broke to hear her speak. Two points that continue to ring in my head: “Our children deserve to see the world as it was in the beginning not just when we are done with it." And then Bernadette also went on to say that her people consider a part of the refuge as the "sacred land where all life begins." And the Gwich'in  people won't even go there if they are starving because to disrupt the sacred space is to disrupt the origin of life.  People, can we have ears to listen? And then take action? 

A Bishop from South Africa also spoke to us about the reality of climate change and the devastation of people not having enough water---a reality that we in America have a hard time wrapping our heads around. But, if we keep living as we are living, it won't be beyond our imagination. It will become our reality. We must come to the truth that when there is drought in South Africa----it is our problem!

Also today two resolutions passed that are centered around supporting and recognizing the needs of people who identify as transgender or non-binary in gender. (Which is also Creation Care) And these resolutions passed without any negation from folks or any pushback or any talk of "why are we doing this." They passed with such support. I felt proud to be both Christian and Episcopalian today. This is what the love of Jesus of Nazareth looks like.... My heart sings.....

Oh, beloved, I miss home, and I am looking forward to returning to my husband, our home, to the Beloved Community (and even Ollie the dog), but there is goodness here......and hope....and love....and I will do all I can to bring these wondrous things back to you all, and resources, and ideas, and joy!  Beloved, Love is the Way. Let us, the Beloved, be the Love the World Needs.  Peace and Night blessings, y'all......