Environmental working Group,
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting — “Care
for God's Creation” http://www.pym.org/peace-and-concerns/ewg/fumminut.htm
George
Fox "...lived in the virtue of that life
and power that took away the occasion of all wars and [he] knew from
whence all wars did rise, for the lust, according to James's doctrine" (Journal/1651).
It is the same lust (cravings, desires, self-centeredness) that causes
violence in war, and which causes us to do violence to God's creation.
The "life and power that takes away the occasion of all wars" also
takes away the occasion for violence against the creation.
The concern for the care of God's creation has long been implicit
in our Christian testimony. We recognize that our historic peace
testimony
is a testimony to living in harmony with the world in a covenant
among God, humanity, and the creation (Gen. 9:8-13), a covenant the
renewal
of which was foreseen by the prophets as in Isaiah's vision of the
peaceable kingdom (11: 1-9), by Paul (e.g., Rom. 8:12-17), and in
the great commission when the risen Christ told the eleven, "Go into
all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation" (Mark
16:15 NRSV, the AV has "all creatures"). Implicit in our
testimony on simplicity is the understanding that we will not more
than we need, particularly (and here we move into the testimony on
justice) if it means depriving others, including future generations,
of their basic needs.
We call upon Friends to examine their own lives to see if their own
patterns of consumption reflect self-centeredness and greed rather
than a concern for living harmoniously in the creation, that we might
witness to the world that harmony. We call upon the nations of the
world, and in particular our own governments, to enact laws and reach
agreements which will protect the creation from the effects of human
exploitation, greed, and carelessness.
The above minute on the care of the creation was approved this past
summer at the Friends United Meeting Triennial Sessions in Williamsburg,
Virginia. The occasion for this minute is discussed in the June 1999
Quaker Life. It reflects the corporate discernment of Friends assembled,
and articulates the understanding of Friends United Meeting as an organization.
It calls upon us as Friends, individually and in our local meetings,
to exalt own lives. Here are some suggestions as to where to begin.
Friends Committee on Unity with Nature (FCUN) publishes some very
good materials on sustainability and living gently on the earth,
particularly
the recent brochure "Understanding Sustainability," which
can be obtained in quantity for distribution with a phone call or
e-mail. They also publish an excellent book, Caring for Creation:
Reflection
on the Biblical Basis of Earthcare by Lisa Lofland Gould, which is
well-suited for First Day school discussion and has a good bibliography.
FCUN can be contacted at 173-B North Prospect Street, Burlington,
VT 05401 (802) 658-0308 or by e-mail at fcun@fcun.org .
The National Council of Churches of Christ/USA (NCCC), with the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), has a program of Energy Star Congregations
in which churches covenant with God and each other, and commit to
actions to conserve energy and other resources, to reduce their impact
on the
creation. For information about what your church or meeting can do,
contact Energy
Star Congregations/ Center for Energy and Environmental
Education/Univ. of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA 50614 or call
(800)288-1346 for their free brochure (ask for EJ9935).
The Internet has many other resources. Meet at the home of a member
with Internet access at webofcreation.org.
This is a page supported by the NCCC with links to the web pages
of many other faith-based organizations. Another good place to start
is
The Evangelical Environmental
Network 10 East Lancaster
Avenue in Wynnewood, PA 19096.
Society of Friends
