Climate Change

Christ, you met him on the shore.
Guiding them to better waters,
eating fish and sharing bread -
you showed Peter and the others:
You were risen from the dead!

- Peter Said I'm Going Fishing 

Morocco Earthquake Kills Thousands

Over 2500 deaths have been confirmed after an earthquake occurred in Morocco. Rescue efforts have been slow due to lack of resources.  We pray for all those affected and devastated by this disaster.

On the beach in Pacific Grove, CA, eight middle and high school students bend over the wet sand, digging as the wave water recedes to catch sand crabs. Blue Theology fellow Gabrielle Poli leads the group to catch the crabs (Pacific mole crab, to be specific), measure them, write down the data on a clipboard, and release them back into their sandy home. The students are part of a church youth group, one of many who will visit the Blue Theology Mission Station for a week over the summer.

Since 2002, I have been intimately involved with Spirit and Truth Fellowship, a CRCNA church in the North Philadelphia neighborhood of Hunting Park.  Our late Pastor, Dr Manuel Ortiz, was a professor of Urban Mission at my alma mater, Westminster Seminary, and he often spoke to me and the other pastors in our community about his dear friend and mentor, Harvey Conn, who was also a professor of missions at Westminster.  In 1992, Dr Conn published a book called “Eternal Word and Changing Worlds,” and in this book he argued for the need to reevaluate our Western-centric approaches to

“God’s love is like an ocean. You can see its beginning, but not its end.” Rick Warren

Thank you to everyone who contacted us last week about Do Justice prayers. We experienced technical difficulty with this website that has now been resolved.  You can read last week's prayers at this link. 

The consensus in Fiji is that the life changes they are forced to endure are the result of the climate crisis. “We know it affects our lives”, said Mosese, the receptionist at the hotel where I was staying in Suva, the capital and largest city in Fiji. 

“There is not one little blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make men rejoice.” - John Calvin

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. - Psalm 19:1-2

Among the young, there is a growing shift towards feelings of hopelessness about our planet’s future. This despairing fear is being termed “eco-anxiety.”  Writing for Vice.com, Marc-Aurèle Baly describes it as, “...the anticipation of a vague danger, a sort of fear without an object which leaves us unable to react in an articulate manner.” This overwhelming feeling of impending doom is leading to depression, apathy and despair. 

This community in Philadelphia, while full of families and individuals working hard to make ends meet, is taking action in their own backyards to address climate change.  In this bonus podcast episode hear from film maker Nathan Roels and local climate organizer Allen Drew about how this storytelling project came together.  And be inspired to see how you can take action for creation in your own backyard.

“Some neighborhoods, at any given time, can be up to 22 degrees hotter than other neighborhoods.” -Cheyenne Flores, Philadelphia Office of Sustainability