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Bob Warren, Stewardship Committee Member

"The Earth is bleeding from wounds inflicted by a humanity no longer in Harmony with Heaven and therefore in constant strife with the terrestrial environment. The world of nature is being desecrated and destroyed in an unprecedented manner globally by both those who have secularized the world about them and developed a science and technology capable of destroying nature on an unimaginable scale and by those who still live within a religious universe." Seyyed Nasr

At the initiative of our rector, a group of parishioners under the chairmanship of Linda Rimer has been meeting over the past several months to consider a possible environmental stewardship mission for the Chapel of the Cross. The following are some thoughts on this mission.

The word "environment" is defined as "the aggregate of surrounding things or conditions; the totality of external influences on an organism." These entities are commonly considered to be air, water, landform, soil, biomass and diversity, and climate. We sometimes speak of this totality as 'nature' (and even 'Mother Nature') or as 'Earth.' The day in April we turn our attention to the state of the environment is now recognized as 'Earth Day' and in this connection many churches are now celebrating 'Earth Sunday.'

As described in the February issue of "Cross Roads", the Episcopal Church has been concerned about the state of the environment and its relevance to our faith at least since the early 1980s. The scriptural basis for this concern is, of course, the Genesis story of the Divine creation of "the earth and all living creatures that dwell upon it."

But what is our role with respect to the Creation? Again Genesis tells us that we are given "dominion over" all things, but how are we to interpret the meaning of "dominion over"?

One interpretation holds that we have been given a "divine sanction," so to speak, to exploit that creation in the unlimited pursuit of our wants and desires. This tradition is the source of the University of California historian Lynn White's accusation that Christianity must be held responsible for the ecological crisis of our time. Certainly we who call ourselves Christians have probably done more damage to our planet than the adherents of all other religions combined.

But there is another tradition suggested by the New Testament parable of the faithful steward watching over his master's estate with prudence and wisdom, acting to advance his employer's interest always before his own and exemplified by the life and teaching of St. Francis of Assisi and many of the Christian Creation mystics.

As I write these thoughts, I note an advertisement in the morning paper. It shows an elderly women pushing a shopping cart. The caption is "Freedom Fighter," followed by, "If you're asking what you can do to help our country, the answer is simple. Keep going, keep shopping, keep browsing, and most of all keep spending ... So take up your arms -- your wallets, your shopping carts, your checkbooks ... Because in this war, keeping our economy strong is half the battle ... Freedom. Buy into it."

In this same paper is an article about a lavish new $200 million mega shopping mall to open this week. And that which is special about this mall is that it will bring us an 'upscale,' i.e., expensive, new Nordstrom department store. Can we hope someday to be worthy of Neiman-Marcus?

What is this saying to us about our beliefs -- that patriotism, freedom, happiness are to be found in consuming more and more of the substances of the Earth?

To turn again to the words of Seyyed Nasr, "The crisis of the natural Creation is a reminder of the crisis within the souls of men and women who having forsaken Heaven in the name of the Earth are now in danger of destroying the Earth as well ... a crisis that will require nothing less than a death and rebirth of modern man ... and that the world of nature again be conceived of as a sacred realm."

Nasr sees the need for 'Resacralization' of the natural world. The Roman Catholic scholar, Thomas Berry, sees our task in terms of a "Great Work" in preparing the way for a new "Ecozoic Age." E. L. Adams, the University of North Carolina Professor of Philosophy, speaks of it in terms of a "Society Fit for Human Beings." How then shall we speak of it?

Is it not to turn from a relationship of exploitation, commercialization, and consumerism to accept the charge we have been given as stewards and protectors of that awesome and beautiful and yet fragile Creation?

If you would like more information about this proposed mission of the church, we invite you to contact the rector, 919-929-2193, or Linda Rimer.

© 2002: Chapel of the Cross