Creation Care

Last year, I gave a talk to a group of churches in Black Mountain, NC, a beautiful small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains, right outside of Asheville. I shared with them that their region is generally considered a “climate refuge,” shielded from the worst effects of climate change. Hurricane Helene shattered that illusion, claiming 115 lives in North Carolina and leaving thousands without basic necessities.

Gentle shepherd come and lead us
For we need You to help us find our way
In the day when our ears are bombarded by beckoning voices
And our world is polluted with sound
Lord, let us hear you

- Gentle Shepherd 

It was the latent heat of condensation that really drew me to love all things weather and climate.  This simple mathematical equation, detailing in numbers a process of precipitation and the cloud forming cycle, fascinated me.  That was 40 years ago and here I am still writing about it. 

The Climate Witness Project is blessed to have a great group of regional organizers across North America, working to mobilize people of faith and churches to live into our moral call and duty to care for creation. As we kick off the fall season, we asked each of them to recommend favorite books or current resources they are reading around the climate crisis. Here’s what they said:

Former President Safe After What F.B.I. Describes as an Assassination Attempt

Biblical stories guide us in our walk of faith and are often told through the land— the Isrealites journey through the desert, Moses’ burning bush, gatherings by the shore to hear Jesus preach, and the journey to Emmaus. These stories are not only preserved in our sacred text but Israelites honored some of these stories by erecting stone remembrances on the landscape (Joshua 4:9). 

The Bible is bookended with trees. In Genesis, the tree of life stands in for the Garden of Eden. In Revelation, the tree represents the restored New Jerusalem, a tree whose leaves “are for the healing of nations.”

The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

The other parents and I were getting off the school bus, when I heard a comment that I thought would be the start of an argument. We had been shuttled upriver to retrieve our vehicles and the canoe trailer after spending the morning paddling downstream. One dad was mocking another: “Are you sure your truck is big enough? Maybe you need something bigger.” The truck in question was as big as they come. It had after-market tires and a lift kit, which meant that a sort of jump step was required to reach the door.