Listeners' Reflections

This is your place to publicly comment on the topics and issues addressed in Speaking of Faith programs. React in a personal way, and put into words what this program meant to you.

Submit Your Reflection about "Discovering Where We Live: Reimagining Environmentalism."

Thankfulness and Care (January 9, 2007)
My faith has been the springboard for the environmentally kind habits in my life. I consider this creation a precious gift from God, and what is the appropriate response for a cherished gift? Thankfulness and care.

Kathryn Dietrich
Streamwood, IL (Listens to SOF OnDemand)

Asking the Right Questions (January 9, 2007)
My perspective comes from the wide variety of experiences of living in the temperate zone of New England where nature's extremes are experienced annually through seasonal variations. Trips from the forests of upstate Vermont to the expanses of Alaskan wilderness to the wilds of Patagonia and the glaciers of Chile to the wonders of our national parks of the West to the majesty of thermal springs and cataracts of Iceland and the mysteries of the Himalayas in Northern India have fascinated and captured my attention giving me a reverence for the beauty, the peace and the rapture of that which has been created of the pleasure, excitement and joy of humanity in this world. The gifts of our surroundings command admiration and respect in the realization of the countless generations to come and who will have a right to be able to enjoy the same delights and benefits we have had so freely but which we have,perhaps, taken for granted. We must work to save all this for those to come.

The greatest threat to losing these profound and magnificent earthly gifts is the continual and expanding population explosion which must be seen to ultimately exceed the capacity of this finite planet to sustain and support such demand upon resources. Life is precious but its value is not from quantity but from its quality. We have been given the ability to evaluate situations, make decisions, develop plans, and take actions which would result in an optimum population allowing sustainable existence at the most rewarding level.

My continuing effort is to present this thought to as many as possible such that enough people conclude that effort must be made to make this a priority of individuals, communities, nations, and governments all working together to bring about a mutually beneficial plan for all the people of the earth. It will take a universally accepted concept on the part of all of humanity for such to come about. It is imperative for this to happen since the alternative is catastrophic.

In the meantime we must exchange our priorities regarding global warming whereby the ultimate effect of the current inevitable warming is minimized through careful analysis and planning. What will be the effects of rising ocean levels? How high will the water level rise and when? How many people will this effect and where? What will be the effect on vegetation, agriculture? How can we compensate for changes in water sources? What other life-sustaining elements will change? Will human needs exceed supply in warmer climate? How can reallotment of resources save lives? What effect can be expected if we make every effort to slow down the advance of the warming?

Wouldn't it be more important,for those who will be inhabiting the earth during the period of global warming, to give more attention now to minimizing the adverse effects on human life by developing appropriate plans as opposed to making fruitless moves to slow the inevitable event which science knows has occurred in times past?

Peter Foster
East Hampton, CT (WNYC, 93.9 FM)

Thinking About Both Ends of the Product Chain (January 2, 2007)
To practice a mindful connection between the earth's natural resources with an effort to conserve and protect is for me a life-long practice stemming back to the first Earth Day in 1970. I was a senior in high school and my parents excused me from class to attend the "teach-ins" at Michigan State University. Ralph Nader, Secretary of Interior Stew Udall, Governor Muskie, and others took the podium that day before thousands of us.

From there I studied environmental policy, worked for environmental organizations, and went on to seminary and raised my family as a United Methodist minister. At home our family eats organic foods, seeks out fair trade coffees, and thinks about the workers at the other side of the shirt or shoe's label. We seek to know about the lives of people as well as the practices of the items we consume.

The invasive species entering our Great Lakes attach themselves to the ships that enter our small town's port and we hear stories about what is being thrown into Lake Superior. It is one linked to lifestyle, consumerism, human rights, urban and city planning, personal health, and faith understanding. It may be time for the words "environmentalism/ist" to change, although it is central to my self-understanding.

Pamela Barbour
Duluth, MN (Listens to SOF OnDemand)

The Whole Is Greater Than Its Parts (January 1, 2007)
I am blessed to live and work in the Columbia River Gorge where I work as a park ranger at Bonneville Lock & Dam. I work with an organization that promotes learning about our local ecosystems and practicing good stewardship. Some might question my practicing environmentalism while working for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at a hydroelectric dam on a river with endangered salmon. My job as a park ranger allows me to help people explore and learn about the significance of the Columbia River and the impact of human activity on the river environment. At the dam, I can show people the salmon swimming up the river and tell the stories of their incredible lives.

The Columbia Gorge Ecology Institute is a wonderful organization that gets into the schools and teaches the science of ecology in both fun and interactive ways. I feel our most important goal is to instill in the student a sense of wonder about what they can find in the forests in their own back yard. By helping each other explore the wonders of this world we may gain the knowledge and appreciation needed to preserve it for all life.

I grew up in a Methodist Church. The church and many members are very supportive of environmental and social issues. These days because of work schedules and where I now live I am not very active in the church. My spiritual path has been influenced by my studies and work learning about biology, ecology, and natural history. I remember working at a children's museum where we could see the bees inside a bee hive. I learned that bees communicate with each other through dance. One bee can tell others where it got pollen by moving in certain ways (figure eights etc.). That, and other observations have shown me how truly miraculous creation is. When I look closely I am convinced the whole is much greater than just the sum of its parts. That whole, including you and me, is all a part of God.

David Weiss
Carson, WA (Listens to SOF OnDemand)

What It Means to Follow Jesus (January 1, 2007)
For the past 20 years we have been part of an earth ministry mission that we helped to start at Dayspring, our church's retreat farm in suburban Washington, DC. Believing that the profound deterioration we see in earth's life support systems is at root a spiritual challenge, we have been exploring the relationship between our Christian faith and how we live on, and care for, the earth.

We ask ourselves: How can we return to a deep relationship with God that is experienced through a contemplative journey into God's creation? How can we recover the creativity, imagination, and inspiration we need for the journey ahead through this dark night of the planet? How can we change from an exploitative relationship with the earth to a mutually enhancing relationship? Knowing what's now happening to the earth, how then shall we live?

Over the years we have led classes and retreats for our church and others on themes such as: Earth Scripture, Creative Simplicity, The New Story of the Universe, and the work of Thomas Berry. We have taught "Earth Sunday School" and summer youth camps at our retreat farm. We have cared for the fields and forests on these 206 acres of mostly wild land to encourage ecological health and diversity.

During the past five years we have expanded our work to build an earth ministry center at Dayspring. We have just completed building two "green" staff cottages; restoration of an old barn that we will use for teaching and construction of a solar, straw-bale greenhouse with an array of gardens lie ahead.

We recently moved into one of the cottages which has solar hot water and electric panels on the roof, passive solar orientation, a few essential efficient appliances, excellent insulation, and a masonry stove that will burn a cord of wood from our wood lot for winter heat. In moving from our former home with conventional natural gas and grid electricity, we have reduced our use of fossil fuel energy by 97%.

A few weeks ago I asked a group of middle school children who came from an Episcopal school for a tour of the cottage why they thought we did all this. They easily came up with answers like it saves energy and helps reduce global warming. Because this was a Christian school group, I felt free to give them an additional answer to this question: we did it because, for us, this is what it means to follow Jesus.

Jim Hall
Germantown, MD (Listens to SOF OnDemand)

Impacting the Environment at the Local Level (December 31, 2006)
As a mayor of a city of 80,000 people, I am in the position to affect more than just my own actions. Believing that it is our duty to leave this planet better off than we found it I have tried to raise the awareness level of my staff of the impact they can have, positive or negative, on the environment around us.

We have signed on to the Mayors Climate Control Agreement, which is the local version for mayors of the Kyoto Treaty. Staff is continually being challenged to rethink their way of doing things and lessen the impact on our environment.

We in Racine have accomplished a great deal.
—We are one of only two cities on the Great Lakes to have achieved the Blue Wave designation for clean beaches.
—We have increased our funding for urban trees from $8,000 to $90,000 in just four years.
—We have an aggressive lead paint program to protect the youngest in our community against this life altering hazard.
—We have opened up the first permanent household hazardous waste disposal site in our area.
—An employee of our health department has done national and international research on keeping beaches open and safe.
—We currently have funding set aside for our first solar installation, to start down the path of alternative energy.
—We are looking at creative solutions to deal with storm water run-off.
—In addition, for years as a city government we have installed energy saving windows, controls for our heating and air conditioning, use natural gas to power some of our fleet, and many other projects.
—We are currently looking at opening an Urban Ecology center, that would focus on an urban environmental agenda.

In our home, we are always conscious of the decisions we make and their impacts on the ecology of our city. We do all the usual things like recycling, rain barrels, watching our energy usage, etc. I would say the Indians' way of looking at how things will impact the seventh generation from now has influenced me as much as anything. In addition, my father was always one to keep us aware of how our actions impacted the world around us.

I was raised Catholic, but it has limited impact on my life today. I believe if you respect others and continually strive to be a better person that you have lived a good life.

Gary Becker
Racine, WI (KUCV, 91.1 FM)

A Lesson I Won't Forget (December 31, 2006)
I was so surprised to hear that next week's topic will be "ecology and faith" (or something like that) because as I was listening this morning and thinking about praying for one's enemies, I leapt up and grabbed some paper and wrote: "Prayer as a kind of ecology." And so when I heard next week's topic, I knew I wanted to share with you a brief anecdote from when I spent seven months in solitude as the caretaker of a wilderness ranch in southwestern Oregon.

This is an excerpt of a letter I sent to a friend: "Returning to the cabin after an evening walk to the pond (where the newts were playing it cool, lounging) I looked up at Rattlesnake Ridge where huge columns of cumulonimbus clouds were reddening with the day's last light and reflecting their tawny tincture back on the high grasses and the purple dirt road. I laughed out loud, swore, and wondered how many spectacles just as mighty I'd already witnessed and forgotten. Then a voice inside my head, or maybe from the grasses, very quietly spoke: the point is not to remember but to try to live a life as beautiful as what you see, so that everyone you meet can share in this momentary glimpse now before you." It's a lesson I won't soon forget.

Steve Edwards
Lincoln, NE (91.1 FM)

Creating a Sanctuary for My Neighbors (December 31, 2006)
It is the Christian value of hospitality that drives my environmentalism at all levels of my life. Christian hospitality as I understand it, is the creation of sanctuary — an atmosphere in which all who enter feel loved, accepted, and safe. To create that atmosphere I recently bought a home in the suburbs of Charlotte.

As do many others, I recycle and garden organically. However, I feel inspired to do more. Following the traditions of Eastern cultures, I am working on a landscaping plan that will afford those who view my yard — whether as a guest, or from the street — a feeling of comfort, peace, and reflection. I hope that I will be able to mesh the tenants of organic gardening with the "zen" of the landscape using "edible landscaping" techniques — making plants do a double duty of providing beauty and food.

As a consumer, I try to purchase recycled items, whether it be shopping at thrift stores that employ the disabled or the Habitat Restore which sends profits to the Habitat for Humanity project. I try to think about the consequences of the use of my money, and shop at stores that contribute to the community.

In my profession as a middle school teacher, I try to lead by example. Whether it is pointing out needless waste to my students, or asking them to think critically about today's environmental issues, I hope to make a difference in their lives. My father (a longtime farmer) is in many ways my inspiration to speak to others through the Earth.

Sue Varga
Charlotte, NC (WFAE, 90.7 FM)

Plastic Is an Obscenity to Nature (December 29, 2006)
I try to be conscious of the "footprint" I leave on the earth. I have my doubts about the effectiveness of recycling, so I am careful, without being ridiculous, about what I buy and throw away. I believe in "creation care" as the Bible teaches. God said "Take care of the planet."

My church has been a leader in the Christian environmental effort. (Energy Star Award, etc.) However, most church leaders will only "preach the gospel" and are not interested in creation care or environmentalism per se. Personally, I succeeded in eliminating styrofoam 15 years ago and recently plastic water bottles from our large campus. No one in the U.S. needs a PET bottle!

I am a conservative, as in conservation, and I take my responsibility seriously. I believe that greed, waste, and overpopulation is at the root of most of our pollution problems. However, certainly overpackaging and consumption can be reduced by any conscientious person. We throw away over 50 million PET bottles a day in this country alone! I am not suggesting life without plastic, but I have not touched one of these obscenities to nature in over two years. No consequences.

Born into a troubled home of Catholic and agnostic parents, I am today a very mainstream Presbyterian college-educated Southern California real estate agent. I rejected God for many years probably due to my father's suicide and an angry, controlling mother struggling to raise five kids alone. After suffering and searching for meaning in my life, now a widow, I found "the way, the truth and the life", just as He promises. "No one comes to the father except through Me"... The perfect truth and grace of Jesus Christ. My spiritual path has been an evolution, an intelligently-designed learning process that I recommend for a life of purpose and fulfillment. I don't have any children, but I care about how I leave the earth for those who do.

Celia Kiewit
San Diego, CA (Listens to SOF OnDemand)

Hymns Calling for Creation Care (December 29, 2006)
My wife and co-pastor Carolyn is a hymn writer. Hymns are sung prayers. She writes hymns on many topics to help churches and individual Christians relate faith to every day living, including several hymns about God's call to care for Creation. Here is one, inspired by Psalm 24:

"The Earth Is the Lord's"
"The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof."
Creation reminds us, O God, of your love.
By grace we are learning, as year leads to year,
We're called to be stewards, your caretakers here.

Your rainforests nurture the world that we share.
Your wetlands give animals shelter and care.
Your coral reefs cradle the life of the sea.
You've shown us, in love, what your good world can be.

Too often, O God, we abuse your good earth.
We fail to remember its beauty and worth.
We take from creation much more than we need,
We threaten your world through indifference and greed.

May we be good stewards of all that you give,
Protecting creation wherever we live.
May we be a church that renews and restores
And lovingly cares for this earth that is yours.

We are active in environmental concerns here in Delaware where there is far too much pollution. Our most recent efforts have been to support proposed windmills off the Delaware coast.

Bruce Gillette
Wilmington, DE (Listens to SOF OnDemand)

Religion Fails to Promote Environmentalism (December 29, 2006)
I believe religion in America does not promote a clean environment. I was excited by an evangelical environmental movement five years ago and recently, but see it stifled for some reasons. Christian belief that God created the Earth should lead one to care for our environment. But, our history shows a planet poisoning which is sinful and greedy. Lynn White Jr. in his famous essay claimed that the Bible's statement that man has dominion over the earth gave Christians carte blanche to pollute.

John Maunu
Grosse Ile, MI (Listens to SOF OnDemand)

Art Ministry Through Eco-Art (December 28, 2006)
I believe there is no greater "calling" at present facing our society than global warming. While I have been a lifetime advocate for the Earth, seeing An Inconvenient Truth this summer kicked me into another gear. I thought about what I could do in my life to make a difference, and since I teach art to children it was a natural place to bring this issue, and integrate it into my fall curriculum.

I began looking for artists (in addition to myself) who use recycled materials in their artwork, and found a video through the the Santa Fe Museum of Art called, "Recycled-ReSeen: Art from the Global Scrapheap." After showing it to my students, I posed the question, "Eco-Art" — Aesthetics or Necessity?" — their answer was a resounding, "Both!" Their homework was to collect and bring in recyclables from which to make sculptures. It was deeply rewarding to see them become more conscious of their "trash," as they began saving things they would normally have thrown away at lunch, and instead save it for art class. Son they were pulling bottles, cans, and boxes that inspired them from the the sea of recyclables overflowing from the recycle bins now stationed on top of the classroom art tables, and began to sketch, cut, tape and assemble their hanging and free standing sculptures.

To see their amazing Recycled Artworks go to oakwoodschool.org and in the upper left-hand corner click on "photo albums." There you will find "ES Art" (Elementary School Art) — click that. You can select any grade-level album to see individual pictures of their creations.

While I realize my story does not arise from a traditional "faith-based" position, I do consider my work teaching art to children as a kind of ministry, an "art ministry" if you will; it is part of my life purpose, while the other is to doing something for/with the environment. I believe that cultivating the (inner) creative lives of children, will create a brighter future. In the case of this recycled art project, their inner life and a pressing reality in the outer world were linked — those environmental issues they will likely be facing (now and) in the future, with all of their creative selves they could/can/will bring to bear on the matters.

With the environment at its tipping point (optimistically in 10 years) we can use all the creative solutions we can get, from all strata of society (old, young, marginalized, and mainsteam); on my path, blending art and ecology made the most sense.

Christy Shelton
Van Nuys, CA (Listens to SOF Podcast)

Whole-Life Stewardship (December 28, 2006)
Our family has adopted a "whole-life stewardship" concept to how we live, being conscious of all Creation as a loan to us by our Creator and Redeemer. We are to manage and care for it in all its aspects. We recycle everything we possibly can in our house (paper, cardboard, plastic, metals) through our county recycling program. Even taking out the garbage and recycled items is an act of whole-life stewardship of the Creator.

We have toilets that minimize the use of water. Even using water is an act of whole-life stewardship of the Creator. We try to be planful in traveling so as to minimize fossil fuel use, even taking the train and bus on occasion instead of driving our van, or sharing rides in vehicles — an act of whole-life stewardship.

Our lifestyle is simple by choice, not traveling great distances that may require fossil fuel use — an act of whole-life stewardship. Minimize lawn care and use of fertilizers — an act of whole-life stewardship, and my family would say, because I am an ten-toed suburban lawn sloth. I am a Christian, attempting to follow Jesus as a disciple, forgiven and resting the finish work of Christ, and living as an act of faithfulness as a whole-life steward. My faith community is an Evangelical Covenant Church.

Ken Soper
Caledonia, MI (Listens to SOF OnDemand)

Solar Hot Water Heaters (December 28, 2006)
In chapter 9, "The Beauty of Nature versus its Utility, The Environmental Challenge" of my recently published book Beauty in Science and Spirit, I have a photograph on of the solar hot water heaters installed on my home. They were installed in 1980 at a cost of about $4000. However, I received $2000 back in federal and state tax rebates. Unfortunately, President Reagan repealed the federal tax rebate law, and Daystar, the company that manufactured my collectors, went out of business. These collectors provided for almost all of my summer hot water needs and were functioning perfectly when I sold my home in 2004.

Paul Carr
Bedford, NH (Listens to SOF OnDemand)

Doing What I Can (December 25, 2006)
I have, for decades now, believed I am the steward of the land I "own." I do not use pesticides; I mow with a push mower; I don't have weed wackers or power edgers, etc. We don't have garbage service since we recycle and/or compost nearly everything, and the few little bags of garbage we do accumulate go into a public garbage can.

We consume very little with a lot of packaging and seldom buy retail as far as clothing goes. We go to consignments shops or Goodwill, etc. We organize shopping trips so as not to go back and forth for one little item. We use fluorescent light bulbs in all light fixtures, and turn off all lights when leaving a room. We encourage wildlife into our yard and care for them.

We didn't reproduce and therefore go with the concept of "zero population growth." Green Peace gets all of our inheritance. We don't even go on "eco tours" since they encourage the eventual destruction of valuable eco systems. We have very little faith that the homo sapiens will eventually be the cause of the death of the planet.

I'm not a joiner of man-made religions, although I suppose I would consider myself a "universalist" in that I see God in all and everywhere despite our continual ignoring of the beauty He gave us in this, at one point, lovely planet. I absolutely do not consider man to have the highest place on the totem pole in that we seem to be the only animal who continues to destroy. I'm certainly more spiritual than religious although, if someone actually practices their individual religion, I have no problem with their choice.

Roberta Mistretta
Barnum, MN (Listens to SOF Podcast)