21 days left before world leaders meet in Copenhagen for UN Climate Talks.
As today is Sunday, I thought I would share an excerpt from A Prayer for the Earth, written by Tim Costello of World Vision Australia and Brian McClaren, a speaker, writer, and contributor to Sojourners “God’s politics” blog.
A Prayer for the Earth
Most gracious God, creator of all good things, we thank you for planet Earth and all creatures that share it.
Have mercy on us, Lord. Through ignorance and carelessness we have poisoned clean air and pure water. For monetary gain we have reduced verdant forests to barren wastes. In our craving for more we have plundered your beloved creation and driven many of our fellow creatures to extinction. Only recently have we begun to realize the dangerous future into which our current patterns of consumption and waste are driving us, especially in relation to Earth’s climate. Only recently have we begun to see our need to find a wiser and better way of life in the future, before it is too late and our choices are limited by the consequences of inaction.
We who join in prayer today believe the time has come, Lord. Please guide us now, our God, at this critical moment in history, to better fulfill our role as stewards of this fragile planet. Guide the leaders of nations who will gather in Copenhagen on Dec. 7. Give them courage to set noble goals that reach beyond short-range political expediency, short-term economic profit, and short-sighted self-interest. Impress upon their conscience our sacred duty to bequeath to our children and grandchildren a healthy and thriving environment rather than a world in climate crisis.
If our leaders fail, Lord, if they fail to take the necessary action, they will violate both our trust and your calling to use their power for the common good. If they fail, every person will be affected, including generations not yet born. Rouse us all to action for we are all woven together in the fabric of creation.
This is the moment, God, when a great turning of hearts must begin. So through this prayer, we of many traditions who follow Christ — joined by friends and neighbors of many faiths – unite our hearts in a cry for change. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray in the name of Christ, through whom you have given yourself to the whole world in incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection. Amen.
Click here to go to Brian McLaren’s home page to see the YouTube video of this prayer set to music and video.
“In our craving for more we have plundered your beloved creation and driven many of our fellow creatures to extinction.”
Weren’t creatures going extinct before the advent of human technology? Why the need to blame it all on human beings? I wonder if Brian will be the first to turn in his personal cars (air pollution), his oven (using invaluable natural gas), his dryer (ditto), his washing machine (polluting water and soil with detergents), personal computer (electricity), etc?
We must not forget, it is God who flooded the earth, God who rained fire from heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah, and God who will melt the earth with fire. I doubt earth care is His number 1 concern. I’m not suggesting we should carelessly destroy it, but I do think better care ought to be taken theologically before jumping on the dangerous earth-love bandwagon.
“And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” Genesis 1:31
And remember Laurie David’s wise words “Saving the planet isn’t about everyone doing everything. It’s about everyone doing something.”