Protecting All Creation<br/>

Day 1 of 3: The Privilege of Not Caring

From Netflix’s 2020 film Enola Holmes:
Edith: “You haven’t any hope of understanding any of this. You do know that?”
Sherlock: “Educate me as to why.”
E: “Because you don’t know what it is to be without power. Politics doesn’t interest you. Why?”
S: “Because it’s fatally boring —”
E: “Because you have no interest in changing a world that suits you so well.”

”The call to care for our planet extends as far back as the book of Genesis, when humankind was called to ‘till and keep’ the earth. But we’ve done too much tilling and not enough keeping.”
James Martin, S.J.

Global warming. The greenhouse effect. Melting ice caps. Rising sea levels. Wilder wildfires. Stronger hurricanes. Hotter heat waves. Drier droughts. Underwater cities.

Climate change.

Whether we believe it’s happening or not, the words “climate change” are getting harder and harder to ignore.

I remember learning about global warming and melting ice caps when I was much younger. But I was a kid living in a major city in the U.S. Why was I supposed to care about some polar bears? That’s not my problem to solve.

Then I got a little older and learned about ozone layer depletion and its effects on my skin somehow. Okay, I can wear hats and sunblock to protect myself. Also I don’t use hairspray, and I’m not old enough to drive a car, so that’s not my problem to solve.

More time passed, and I started seeing videos everywhere of fish caught in plastic, turtles choking on trash, birds drenched in crude oil. That’s not my problem to solve.

And now? Now, I have access to so much information about the millions of ways our planet is being destroyed by humanity, and I am overwhelmed. Worldwide, there are tens of millions of climate refugees — people who are fleeing what was once their homes due to the unlivable effects of climate change. This can’t possibly be my problem to solve since it doesn’t concern me. Right?

As Christians who are called to treat all of God’s creation with dignity and respect, how are we called to think about all of this climate change business? I think of it this way: Imagine two circles — one large, one small.

Brown Wood Bed & Breakfast Inns Instagram Post (3).png

The large circle represents people in the world whose lives have been practically unaffected by climate change. Picture the words “None of this concerns me because it suits me well” in this large circle.

The small circle represents people in the world whose lives have been up-ended and destroyed because of climate change. Picture the words “This concerns me because it does not suit me well” inside this small circle.

Now, imagine the large circle is getting smaller, and the small circle is growing larger at the same rate. Eventually, only one circle remains: “This concerns me because it does not suit me well.”

Our call as Christians who still have the power to do something about it is to occupy and grow a third circle — one where we say “Climate change concerns me because it does not suit everyone well, and in time it will suit no one well.”

This “third circle” is a disruptor; it works to protect the poorest, most vulnerable among us, and then everyone as a result. Growing this third circle is not easy work. Speaking truth to power is bitter, frustrating work. We are swimming against the current.

I am not trying to scare you into caring about the dangers of climate change. This is justice work, and fear should not motivate your justice work. Let compassion for your fellow human move you to care. Let righteous anger move you to make war against unnecessary human suffering. Let Love be what moves you — not fear, not selfish desires, nor pride.

Love.

Reflect: Think of one person who does not think climate change is an important issue. For a moment, imagine that you are that person and consider the question: “How come I’m not worried about climate change?”

Theresa Ta

Day 1 of 3: The Privilege of Not Caring

Start reading this 3-day devotional in the app. Find it on the Featured shelf.