For those who were not able to join us for Iowa IPL’s Faith Climate Action Week Reflection, we invite you to take the time and space to reflect with us at your own convenience by following our reflection outline below. Grab a pen and paper or open a Google doc to write down your responses if that is helpful.
Opening Reflection
We join with the earth and with each other.
To bring new life to the land
To restore the waters
To refresh the air
We join with the earth and with each other.
To renew the [prairies]
To care for the plants
To protect the creatures
We join with the earth and with each other.
To celebrate the [rivers]
To rejoice in the sunlight
To sing the song of the stars
We join with the earth and with each other.
To recreate the human community
To promote justice and peace
To remember our children
We join with the earth and with each other.
We join together as many and diverse expressions of one loving mystery: for the healing of the earth and the renewal of all life.
-U.N. Environmental Sabbath Program from “Earth Prayers From Around the World” edited by Elizabeth Roberts & Elias Amidon
Questions
In reflecting on 50 years of Earth Day celebrations and last week’s anniversary:
How are you called as a person of faith to environmental justice?
What are the barriers you experience that make responding to that call more difficult?
What needs to change in order for you to more fully respond to your call to advance environmental justice?
Send Off
Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.
― John Wesley