Enough For All Creation

by Jeanne Brolan, SMIC Associate

This was the title of the 7^th annual Ecumenical Advocacy Day’s (EAD) that I had the privilege to attend.  There were over 700 Christian men and women who gathered to hear international leaders speak about Climate Change.  The Franciscan Action Network played an extensive role in this year EAD.  Franciscans and Franciscan-hearted people opened the EAD days Friday evening with amazing music, symbolism of our Universe as well as a talk on Franciscan values. This set the stage for our four days, the need to become aware and active about the direction that our nation will take regarding the important issue of what is happening to the Earth.

Just as St. Francis listened to the words “My Church is in ruins,” we were asked to listen to the words “Our Earth is in ruins.”  We were called on to look at nature, not with a new set of values, but with the Franciscan view of nature.  How do we care for Creation as Franciscans?  Prayer!  Participate, as people of faith standing up for the environment.  Promote this issue as people of all faiths in a religious response to global warming.   Provide a role for faith community.  That role is to show the way to live as stewards of our planet.  To do this we must look at the two great commandments, the first being to love the Lord our God, the second to love our neighbor as our selves.  How do we show our Love for God and leave a carbon footprint that is destroying the balance of His universe?  How do we love our neighbors as our selves and not respond to the needs of our brothers and sisters who are experiencing terrible flooding and drought?

Each of the speakers addressed these questions.  They gave statistics that were frightening.  They told real life stories of the pain and struggle for every day existence in the third world countries brought about because of climate change. We in the audience could not even begin to imagine living such a life.  All that is happening to the third world is because of the industrial countries’ overuse of our natural resources.  Man has decided that he is the Master of the universe.  He has taken on the role of changing the balance of the food chain. It was very disturbing to learn about the chemical alteration of the genetic make up of our food.   This will have a devastating effect on the food we depend on.

All this information does not change people.  Relationship changes people.  EAD days showed us what was wrong but they also empowered us with the tools to create change.  They channeled us to see our role as people of faith.  They gave us the tools to stand up and create change so we can transform what had taken such a toll on our earth.  The earth cannot support our affluence any more.  We must recognize the difference between having more and having meaning in life.  Our moral responsibility is to ensure all people have enough. 

We were not asked to go out and change the world all at once.  We were asked to start in our own home, and look at how we use paper.  If we all just replaced our use of paper towel with cloth towels that would save the trees that help remove some of the carbon that is emitted.   When we go to the grocery store, we can bring our own cloth bags for the groceries.  Just think what an example that will be to others.  Things like energy efficient lights and appliances, turning off and unplugging electricity when not in use are just simple things that will begin to help.

We can take this message of Climate Control into our parish and have discussions.  We can put out flyers on good ideas to save our planet.   We can ask schools boards to address this issue in the classrooms.  For those of us who are comfortable with public speaking, we can go into colleges and universities and educate our young men and women on their responsibilities as future stewards of this earth.  Each one of us with a computer has access to what our government is doing on a local, state and congressional level about the climate.  We can lobby for bills to be passed that represent change.  I learned that Pennsylvania is the third largest state in creating pollution.  With knowledge like this I have a responsibility to lobby for change.  We have an amazing opportunity in to day’s world to take action just by using our computers.  We can write, e-mail or phone our leaders to share our views.  In most situations there are pre written letters that we can sign our name to on request of the passage of bills.

The EAD days ended with a visit to Capital Hill.  We joined with others from our state and paid a visit to our Representatives and Senators.  We were armed with information on the topic of Climate Control and given the most appropriate way to get our message across.  We even had role-play before we went to the Hill.  I found this experience most exhilarating! 

The message I want to share the most from this experience is that we as Franciscans were given the example of Francis and Clare on the joy of protecting the earth and living in simplicity.  Francis’s example of his love for the poor and the universe and Jesus gospel on the beatitudes are our blue print.  To day all we are being asked to do is to live our life following their example.  I believe this fits into our SMIC vision of being “Women Creating a Climate of Hope: living in just relationship with all creation.  This may require that we step out of our comfort zone.  This may require us to really live our charism.   This is a call to the congregational vision “to embrace the contemporary world, face its challenges and take on the inevitable risks of our mission…choosing to live and promote justice, peace and integrity of all creation.”  The whole four days were asking people to live the charism the Missionary Sisters profess to live.  Living each day in the spirit of simplicity, inclusiveness and advocacy for the poor and powerless is the response the EAD days were calling for. 

There are enough resources for all our brothers and sisters if we learn to share what we have and be respectful of our gifts.  Each one of us can establish a relationship with those around us and ask them to join in this endeavor.  One of the first responses from each Sister and Associate is to share what we see our role is in our communities.  When we share with each other our ideas it gives new energy to someone else.  We the people of this earth can make a difference.  We as members of the Missionary Sisters can lead the way.