In many respects our very well being and the future of our civilization is connected to the health of the earth. We have become alienated from nature in an unprecedented way and we have not been good stewards. Our broken relationship with creation is a reflection of our disrespect for God and for one another. Some eco-theologians say our ecological crisis results from a human spiritual crisis. Our renewed work on care for creation needs to address that crisis and to start by rebuilding our relation with God, with each other, and all of creation.
As people of faith we know that God’s spirit is continually at work to mend broken relationships. God has called us to be a partner in that reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-19). Healing will require our deep commitment and involvement. Within our lives, we must bring care of creation to a central place.
We often feel overwhelmed and that we have too many problems to deal with, but we must acknowledge that caring for creation is not just one more concern, it is at the core of our existence. We will not be healed if the earth is not healed.
We can be engaged in rebuilding relationships in many ways. We can do it by changing the way we live and walk on the earth, and we can do it together by working with one another in our congregations or our public lives.
For over the last decade, I have committed myself to working on building those relationships. I cannot say that when I started my journey I had a clear view of the destination, but I knew that I would not get there alone. As Michael Schut, Episcopal eco-theologian says, the place to start is to connect to the Holy around you.
