April 23, 2023 ·
Yesterday was Good Earth Day. As I’m writing this, hundreds of people are at worship here in Kingston. There won’t be many churches that won’t share in one form or another, a community prayer for our Earth. They’ll pray that God might somehow fix things. These are good people, truly wanting God, as they understand Him, to make things better, much as a simple child wants their parent to take away the hurt after they’ve fallen.
Don’t get me wrong, here. I believe in prayer. I know that God listens. That’s not the problem. The problem is with those who are praying. They are not listening. In general, they actually think that God will do something for them that they are not trying to do themselves. Go figure. When did Jesus ever say that?
Where was the Church ‘presence’ yesterday at the Good Earth Day rally? When do we see churches offer their space to climate events? What congregations are taking a leadership role in updating their buildings, not to just to save money, but to do the right thing when it comes to the stewardship of the Earth, a basic tenant of the faith?
Across our society, most people are leaving organized Christianity. It’s often not about a lack of faith or change in their beliefs, but because, among other things, most churches simply are not taking God seriously. They are not addressing the basic need and crisis of our time. Prayer alone is simply not enough.
From the eyes of one raised within Christianity, this is the saddest observation in my life. Since Civil Rights and Slavery, there has never been a more obvious time for action on the part of God’s People, however named. By their in-action, it is obvious to me that as a group, they have lost their way. They’ve forgotten that they are called to follow and not merely believe.
Just imagine the difference it would make to the world and our collective future, if most churches in the world started to actually lead in this crisis? If they would start to DO instead of merely pray. If they would begin to brain-storm and attempt ideas that invited and challenged people to live and act differently. It would be so exciting and hope generating, not only for those people, but for all of us. What an opportunity! Tragically wasted.
Christians aren’t the only ones we need to encourage and prod. At the gathering yesterday there were also no civic leaders there, who ALL claim to support climate change actions. If our so-called Leaders and the religious are not involved in this. I’m afraid we’re in for a very hard time.
Anthony, still trying to be positive.
