Religion and the Environment

The matter of religion and the environment has made headlines this week as both the Catholic church and Southern Baptist Convention have issued statements on the need to be more environmentally sensitive and responsible. This may sound kind of new and that the church is late to the game on the green front and there is some truth to that, but there is also a long understanding of the responsibility of stewardship over creation within the church. Even from the traditional Book of Common Prayer, we find these words in the Litany of Penitence:

For our waste and pollution of your creation, and our lack of concern for those who come after us, Accept our repentance, Lord

I was encouraged to see these formal bodies make a statement and remind believers to take seriously our responsibility for the environment. Being green is very fashionable and chic right now, but it needs to be more than words. A few weeks ago, a radio show was interviewing a celebrity who was triumphing the need to care for the environment. But when the interviewer asked if the celebrity owned a hybrid car, the answer was no. (Presumably it wasn't a fuel efficient car of any sort.) When asked if the celebrity recycled, the answer was again no. So quickly one could see there was a big gap between what was being preached and what was being lived out. We need to consider if that same gap exists in our own lives and where we may be able to close it.

And by the way, it doesn't really matter where you fall on the whole global warming evidence and arguments and such. Being wise and responsible with the environment by doing little things like "Reduce, Re-use and Recycle" is always a good idea.