A theology of ecological justice is more than just “creation care.” How we interact with the planet and the cosmos says everything about how we interact with the divine presence.
As we enter the 4th week of Lent, our spiritual practice will be to engage in the Divine Ecology: to observe what the Franciscans and other early faith traditions would call the two revelations of the Divine: nature (the created world) and scripture (the inspired texts).
As you go through your week, observe and reflect on the ways nature reveals itself in scripture and scripture reveals itself in nature, and how together our experiences of nature and scripture create a holistic act of worship.
Here are a few practices you might consider:
- Spend some time contemplating deeply on a particular natural item: a flower, leaf, the bark of a tree, a pet or other animal, a blade of grass, clouds, the wind, etc. Reflect on how that one particular piece of nature speaks to you of life, love, unity, and justice. Respond through some type of creative expression (journaling, music, poetry, visual arts, etc.).
- Pick a favorite piece of scripture or a passage from the Revised Common Lectionary for this week (https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/daily.php?year=B). Take a walk outdoors and observe the ways in which the passage comes alive through the natural world. Make a list of your findings.
- Participate in practices such as meditation, centering prayer, or lectio divina in an outdoor setting. How is your experience influenced by your environment? Journal your responses.
- Research a particular piece of environmental policy (global climate change, arctic drilling, pipeline construction through indigenous lands, renewable energy, etc.). Discover one thing you can do to support sustainable living (write a letter, recycle, do something to reduce your carbon footprint, etc.) and do it sometime this week. How does your theology of environmental justice inform your position?
- Spend some time considering how a theology of environmental justice impacts broader societal and cultural concerns. How do the causes and effects of climate change disproportionately impact the poor and people in marginalized communities? What can communities of faith do together to create justice in these areas?
- Create something that expresses a theology of environmental justice.
If you wish, you may share your experiences in the comment section below or post them on our New Wineskins Facebook page or Wineskins Workshops group discussion.
Then join us Sunday, March 21, as we share our experiences in community at our weekly gathering.
6:00pm: Zoom connection opens for Happy Half Hour social time
6:30pm: Conversation begins