“A Tip is a seemingly small thing, but when it comes from a church we love, it means something big: This is God’s creation. I can do this to help take care of it.”
~ Crys Zinkiewicz
This blog post is all about Tips, helpful suggestions for those of us who aspire to be justice-minded caretakers of God’s creation as well as defenders of democracy.
The current climate crisis that humanity has wrought upon planet earth and all its creatures (flora and fauna) is the greatest existential and moral problem we have ever had to deal with as a species. It is so BIG, and we feel so small. Compound this with the global rise of anti-democratic regimes, and the profoundly destructive effects the outcome of the 2024 American election will wreak upon the work of creation justice (to name just one), and it is normal to feel overwhelmed. But in the days, months and years ahead in this monumental ultra-marathon quest for creation justice (and the preservation of democracy), we must not remain overwhelmed.
I spend a lot of time at my computer, so much so that it is not uncommon for me to overburden it. And when I overwhelm its processing capacity, even to the extent that the magic of “Ctrl-Alt-Delete” doesn’t unlock and free it to perform, what do I do? I follow the tip I learned long ago. As a last resort, I re-boot. Shut it down for a bit. Start over. And go on from there. This ‘Bizarro World’ experience we are facing right now feels like a re-boot moment.
The home page of the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement website (www.umcreationjustice.org) contains a button labeled “Tips.” I’ve recently discovered it. I think it may be a place to re-boot. Crys Zinkiewicz, the author of the quote that began this post, is the originator of the Creation Care Tips that appear monthly on the website. She began it with the goal to “provide theologically and biblically-sound ideas that can be utilized in any congregation in worship bulletins and other church media.” What a great idea!
The opening portion of the Tips page reads: “Our Creation Care Tips resource offers you a simple way to get your congregation actively involved as individuals, families or teams in creation justice and environmental ministry! Each month, 10 tips are provided that are easy to implement, biblically and theologically sound, and educational.” Below that introduction are the most recent tips from the past three months and a link to access older tips. I took the opportunity to click on the Subscribe button so I will automatically receive the new tips around the middle of each month. My suggestion (tip) to you, dear reader, is to do likewise.
As an incentive, I’m sharing a copy of the 10 November tips that center around gratitude, giving thanks for the myriad of blessings that make this a better, more sustainable and just world to live in, a less ‘Bizarro World’ that is more reflective of that which we pray for when we ask that God’s Kingdom come and God’s will be done on this earth as in the realms of heaven. For those who understand all that is now at stake for creation justice and democracy because of the consequential choices Americans made in this election, there is a period of grief and lament to work through. But in order to come out of the darkness of the valley and ascend the mountain before us, we must remain grounded in a profound sense of gratitude that fuels our hope which propels us onward and upward. While this month began with an election gone awry, it will end with a call to renewed thanksgiving.
[And on the matter of Hope, I invite you to scroll down to the bottom of the page after clicking on this link (www.wakeupworld.earth/minute-4-mother-earth-videos) for a brief video from the Minutes for Mother Earth series that is a resource with the Wake Up World curriculum.]
We are introduced to November’s Tips with this reminder: “We are invited to live every day—not just one—with an “attitude of gratitude.” That invitation also bids us turn our attitude into action—for which, others will also be giving thanks.”
As we re-boot, may this be that somewhere to start so that we may grow from there:
Give thanks for churches that remind us the Earth is the Lord’s. Encourage your church to begin or add to practices, such as recycling worship bulletins, composting after meals, lifting up God’s Creation in liturgy and sermons, and other actions that help us be better stewards.
Give thanks for those who get knee deep in dealing with the mounting litter in streams, rivers, and oceans. Find a waterway near you and create or join efforts to remove harmful debris.
Give thanks for those who look beyond their own convenience and count the cost to God’s earth as they make decisions. Examine your own habits: refuse, reduce, reuse, repair, recycle.
Give thanks for those who are choosing careers and jobs that help the environment. Researchers, environmental educators, entrepreneurs, lawyers, law enforcement officers, workers in green industries, farmer laborers, for example, have a crucial role in protecting and healing this home of ours. Encourage the individuals in your life who are doing this work.
Give thanks for those who engage their families, friends, colleagues, and students in actions that help and not harm the earth. People, especially children, learn from trusted sources—people they see who walk the talk. Tell your story.
Give thanks for those in agriculture and who seek to work in harmony with nature. Before you eat, ask a blessing especially for all who provide the foods that sustain life. Be mindful of those who labor in the fields especially in high heat; speak up for justice for their health.
Give thanks for those who see, hear, and stand with marginalized peoples as they endure the brunt of a changing climate. Respond to disasters, definitely! Also, speak up for the necessary changes to avoid the suffering.
Give thanks for the laws, regulations, and organizations that protect or restore the natural habitats of God’s creatures. With those protections, numerous marine and land animals have come back from the brink of extinction. Support those efforts so that wildlife can thrive.
Give thanks for people who donate leadership, time, and money to help organizations that marshal the many for a greater impact as catalysts of change. Individuals can’t do all, but all—together—can. Choose your group(s) to support in some way.
Give thanks for those people who plant trees and gardens that nourish pollinators. Fall is a good time for planting many species. Look for places where you can add a tree or three or sow some wildflowers, for example. If you involve children in the event, you will also be sowing seeds of caring for nature.
“Start somewhere. Grow from there.”
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