BY KATHRYN KEVE
Every religious tradition teaches about compassion, such as: “Love thy neighbor as thyself” which rests deep in the beliefs of Christianity and Judaism. The Dalai Lama says “My religion is kindness.”
Buddhism counsels “Do no harm” which applies to all life. Native Americans think in terms of “all our relations” and this means honoring family and tribe, Mother Earth and Father Sky!
Pope Francis reminds us that: “Creation is … a wonderful gift that God has given us, so that we care for it … always with great respect and gratitude … set at the service of our brothers and sisters, including future generations.”
One commitment of the Bainbridge Island/North Kitsap Interfaith Council is: “To care for the earth, defending the rights of all its creatures and seeking the reverent and equitable use of its resources.” The Interfaith Council also has adopted the Charter for Compassion which states: “We believe that all human beings are born with the capacity for compassion.”
How does compassion relate to climate change and the environment? It means that taking care of the Earth is as essential as taking care of ourselves, our families, friends and neighbors. Surely, the planet itself is our neighbor. Our own lives and those of future generations depend on the continuing life-giving bounty of the Earth.
We are already seeing signs that the climate is out of balance with higher average temperatures and more frequent severe storms. We have seen environmental damage such as massive oil spills in Alaska and the Gulf. We point to big business activities such as mountaintop removal, deforestation, fracking, and coal train explosions, and believe that change is out of our hands. Yet many of the contributors to global warming are small, daily and personal — too many trips in the car, too careless with waste, or dependence on food and other goods shipped from thousands of miles away.
The demand for consumer goods increases with new products and population growth. More fossil fuel is used as we travel long distances for shopping, shipping, or recreation. Because we enjoy these things, we depend on a flourishing consumer economy. This makes change more difficult and so we hope that the talk of coastal flooding, drought and deadly storms is “just talk” and find it difficult change our habits. This disconnect is a crisis of spirit.
What can we do that would make a difference? How can we make ourselves worthy of the dreams of our descendants? Many people are already making lifestyle changes with local gardens, solar panels and more fuel-efficient cars. Still, there is much more to be done.
To learn more, we invite you to attend a talk on Saturday, May 2 by Kathleen Dean Moore at Grace Episcopal Church.
Professor Moore teaches environmental ethics and philosophy of nature at Oregon State University. She will speak about the nature of change and calls us to radical truth-telling and courageous citizenship. The talk will be followed by time for individual reflection and sharing.
Initially, a collaboration between Sound Spirit of Suquamish UCC Church and Earth & Spirit at Grace Episcopal Church, event sponsors are: BI/NK Interfaith Council, Sustainable Bainbridge, Agate Passage Friends Meeting, Bainbridge Alliance for Puget Sound, Bainbridge Citizens’ Climate Lobby, Cedars Unitarian Universalist Church, Climate Action Bainbridge, Eagle Harbor Congregational Church, Earth Ministry, Ellen Lockert, Friends of the Farms, IslandWood, Kitsap Audubon Society, Malone Environmental Consulting, NK Unitarian Universalist Church, Port Gamble S’Klallam Foundation, St. Barnabas Episcopal Church and the Suquamish Tribe.
Kathryn Keve is the Interfaith Council representative for the upcoming Kathleen Dean Moore event.
