Monday, December 28, 2020

Right Mindfulness: Managing ecological stress

God be in my head, and in my understanding; God be in mine eyes, and in my looking; God be in my mouth, and in my speaking: god be in mine heart, and in my thinking; God be at my end, and and my departing.   - John Rutter (b. 1945)

This is the final installment in the series the Eightfold Path of Environmental Action. It is a companion to The Seed, a short film created by the Stewardship of the Environment Committee in the Anglican Diocese of Montreal.

Many Christians are troubled by climate change, biodiversity loss and ecological degradation. Despite the emotional weight (or perhaps because of it) many of us feel called by our faith to address these environmental concerns. As Anglicans we are called by the fifth mark of mission. However, our failure to heed the call to be good stewards of the earth has caused many Christians to experience what is known as ecological anxiety (eco-anxiety) and ecological grief (eco-grief)
  
The stress, anxiety and fear associated with ecological awareness can be painful and even debilitating.  This pain is amplified by the failure of many faith leaders to prioritize climate action. While faith traditions are well positioned to be environmental leaders, in many instances they have been slow to act.  Despite sincere efforts from some church groups, and leaders like Pope Francis, many church leaders are not prioritizing creation care.  This is certainly true in the Anglican Church of Canada and in dioceses across the country.   For some this failure of leadership is the cause of disinterest in or estrangement from the institutional church.

There are a wide range of Christian responses to eco-anxiety and eco-grief. Some Christians have advanced approaches to managing climate stress that are compatible with established psycho-social techniques while others are dismissive.

Earlier this year a Christian conservation biologist by the name of Xandra Carroll described her experience with eco-grief and eco-anxiety.  She has researched and written extensively about the spiritual dimensions of eco-anxiety and hope. In a May 2020 article, titled Eco-Anxiety and Christian Faith, A Christian Response to Eco-anxiety Carroll wrote about how many in her community were “politely reversing” her environmental efforts.  This spawned what she describes as a, “debilitating grief at our environmental crisis”. 

Carroll argues for a “facts first feelings second approach”. She points to efforts being made to take stock of environmental damage and she suggests that grief can be a motivating factor encouraging people to engage in efforts to address this damage. She says: “God himself is grieved at abuse and corruption of the natural world, often correlated with human wickedness.”   And she cites the call to repentance in Joel 1: “All the trees of the field are dried up and gladness dries up from the children of man…Even the beasts of the field pant for You because the water has dried up.”  Biblically speaking, she states that “rebellion and wickedness led to a corruption of the natural world” (Genesis 3:17) and repentance or ‘turning back’ to God leads to a restoration that also affects the natural sphere (Romans 8:19-23).

While she believes grief can be an effective impetus to act, she does not think it is helpful to be anxious or fearful.  She explains that the scriptures are “replete with passages exhorting us to stand firm and not succumb to fear.”  Quoting 2 Timothy 1:7 she writes: “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”  She suggests we transcend our limited understanding and put our faith in the peace of God and in Jesus. 

However, she clearly states that this does not justify ignoring these crisis.   Carroll says our faith “allows us to march with confidence into any storm.  When we cast our fear on Jesus we are dressing ourselves in His perfect love.  Thus, we are equipped to face any problem with confidence and faith instead of debilitating fear and timidity.”

She characterizes concerns about ecological destruction as valid but adds that “some of the fear we feel around a broken landscape stems from anxiety about our own impermanence and brokenness…. Even if the natural world was perfect, it could never be a source of our ultimate security.” Carroll says, only “the person of Jesus offers us that foundation…Therefore, let us face our ecological crisis head-on, knowing how deeply loved we are by the Creator of all.  His heart is surely grieved by the destruction of our natural world, and it grieves us also because we share His heart.  Praise God that we can face this crisis without the anxiety that catastrophises, and without the ignorance that perpetuates the problem.  We can march into our generation’s hardships with truth, love, and confidence in Christ.”

Some Christians are more fatalistic and eschatological. They see pollution as a result of the sin of a fallen world. As such it is incurable by education, politics, or any other man-made reform.  Such apocalyptic narratives see all of creation as intended for destruction, “the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire”. (2 Peter 3:7).  In this narrative God is cast as using the climate catastrophe as a way of bringing about his final judgement. So, in response to eco-anxiety these people would council us to look beyond this world filled with sorrow and wait “for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:-13). However, some who harbour such views are concerned enough about this world to be apologists for the fossil fuel industry which (the primary driver of climate change).  These people commonly support the burning hydrocarbons often by referencing the jobs that this sector provides (even though clean sources of energy like renewables provide far more jobs). 

Others are less fatalistic about eco-anxiety, seeing it as more of a aspiritual challenge than an intractable reality. So while some Christians wait for God to install a new heaven and a new earth, others are acting. Such action may hold the key to being good stewards and managing eco-grief and eco-anxiety.  Coming together with people who share our environmental concerns can contribute to our health and well-being. “Where two or three are gathered, the presence of Christ is strengthened” (Matthew 18:20).

Christians in 80 cities across 33 countries have participated in nonviolent, climate actions as part of the ‘Extinction Rebellion’ (XR). In 2019 XR member Panu Pihkala posted a couple of articles in which she explores the emotional side of the environmental movement from a Christian perspective.   

In an article titled “Eco-anxiety: The psychological and spiritual toll of the environmental crisis,” she points to the high burnout rate of environmentalists and environmental researchers.  She explains that part of the problem is the way that we speak (or our failure to speak) about our emotions related to our environmental concerns.  Pihkala makes a plea for us to honor the wisdom of the so-called negative emotions (grief, anger, and fear) and channel them in non-violent ways.  She makes the claim that grief can “lead to purification and a restoration of joy” while anger can be “a key source of energy for non-violent activism”. She suggests we should talk about our fears and work together to counter them.  

In another article Pihkala argues that negative emotions are destructive when they transform into anxiety. She says to avoid anxiety we need to avail ourselves of resources that can help us process negative feelings. She advocates a way of living with grief and despair that may ultimately give way to a “new determination to practice hope”.  

Consistent with the often-repeated refrain from psychologists that we must make room to mourn and give ourselves permission to grieve, Pihkala says despair is part of life and she points to the Biblical history of despair among believers and in Scripture (eg Psalms and Jesus in Gethsemane). She draws an important distinction between hope and optimism as follows: “With optimism, people make estimates of likely outcomes. But it is possible to hope without calculating probabilities. There is ‘hope against hope’ (Rom. 4:18).” She says this type of hope is about meaningfulness. She cites Vaclav Havel who said, “Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well; but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.”

Pihkala distinguishes between despair and hopelessness saying that despair can be a catalyst for action, but hopelessness is the “true danger” because it reflects a “total lack of meaning.” She says we cannot turn away from the deadly impacts of our way of life, nor can we ignore the emotions of those who are anguished and cry out. As she explains, “we have a duty of mutual spiritual care.” 

Hope and love are defining features of the Christian faith and they are to essential to managing the psychological strain associated with the multiple crises we face.  The hope that we can create a better future can inspire us to work towards realizing it.  Being hopeful may come in part from being able to articulate a vision of a new Eden in which we restore the Earth’s biodiversity, protect nature, and preserve the beauty of this planet.

Love may be the most powerful tool Christians have in our efforts to be good stewards and be psychologically heathy. Love not only offers a powerful impetus to act, it is also an effective way of combatting ecological stress (eco-grief and eco-anxiety).  As we endeavor to make life livable for future generations, we realize that we acting because we care about something bigger than ourselves.  It may start with love for our children, but this love can expand to include all of creation. Love gives us the strength to keep going and it helps us to live with pain and uncertainty.   

For more information click on the following link: Managing Ecological Anxiety and Grief

Sunday, October 4, 2020

Announcing the Launch of the Short Film "The Seed"

The Stewardship of the Environment Committee (SEC) in the Anglican Diocese of Montreal is pleased to announce the launch of its short film The Seed. This six-and-a-half-minute film takes us on an allegorical journey through a fallen world. The film reflects the serious reality of the climate crisis and environmental degradation without succumbing to futility or despair. 

This simple yet authentic parable was produced by NorthSky Films and directed by Sundance Ignite Fellow, Aziz Zoromba, who has produced and directed award-winning films that have screened at TIFF, SXSW, IDFA, Festival du Nouveau Cinema, RIDM, and more. The Seed was narrated by voiceover artists Ruth Capri and Lileina Joy, whose commercial work was recently nominated for an Emmy. The film's editor and co-producer, Ashley Gilmour, was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award and is a fellow of the Doc Accelerator Program at Hot Docs, as well as an upcoming resident at the Canadian Film Centre. The colourist and co-producer, Max Machado, was the recipient of the Jean-François Bourassa Memorial Award and was nominated for a Canadian Society of Cinematographers Award. The writer, Alexander MacKenzie, has likewise worked on award-winning narrative films, documentaries, and music videos. Richard Matthews is the film's executive producer, and he is a sustainability advocate and the chair of the SEC. He collaborated on the film The Search for Greta Thunberg.

The making of The Seed has not been without challenges.  After months of consultations, developing the concept, writing and re-writing the script, the coronavirus hit - halting production and forcing us to reimagine the film.  However, we believe these difficulties fostered creativity and benefited the film.

We also believe that this film is particularly relevant today, not despite the pandemic but because of it. As Primate Linda Nichols said, we "absolutely" should continue to advocate for climate action in the era of COVID-19. She went on to say that our response to this virus has revealed that we can reduce climate change causing greenhouse gas emissions. Our film is buoyed by the growing realization that the coronavirus can be an inflection point and perhaps even help to augur a much-needed paradigm shift.

This film is a call to action and a reflection of the fact that faith communities are increasingly assuming leadership roles. Recently, the Church of England committed to net zero carbon emissions and Canadian Anglicans passed a resolution that called for climate action from both the church and government. Anglican churches in the Canadian north are on the front lines of the fight against climate change as their way of life is being destroyed by rising temperatures. As home to the world's largest ever climate march, this crisis also resonates with people in Montreal.

Faith groups have both a moral responsibility and an opportunity to be relevant in an increasingly secular world. As explained on the Interreligious Eco-Justice Network, "In an age of growing cynicism about the role of religion in our society, the credibility of our faith communities as moral agents may increasingly rest on our collective response to the unfolding climate crisis. As its ethical and spiritual implications become more obvious, climate change is increasingly taking its place as a central concern of communities of faith." 

It is our hope that the accessible narrative in our film will resonate with a broad swath of people, who share a common interest in environmental stewardship. We made this film to appeal to people of faith and secular society because we believe that in a world rife with divisions the love of creation can bring us all together. We also made this film in support of environmental and climate justice which is intimately connected to a host of social justice issues including LGBTQ+ rights, Indigenous rights and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Our film is a call to protect biodiversity and human civilization from the ravages of climate change and environmental degradation.  We know what must be done, now we must do it. The urgency of these crises calls us to radically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, the window of opportunity to act is closing, so the urgency of this situation cannot be overstated.

We do not have the time to incrementally address the crisis nor is individual action enough on its own. As Primate Nicholls said, we must do more than advocate for lifestyle changes. She also calls us to reflect on market idolatry, saying "we failed to notice when that stewardship had been subverted by economic forces, human greed and an attitude of complacency. We answered God’s very first call to us with neglect, disregard and denial". As explained in a statement by the World Council of Churches (WCC) Executive Committee , "The time for debate and disputation of established scientific facts is long over...We will all be held to account for our inaction and our disastrous stewardship of this precious and unique planet". Our film reflects the understanding that our failure to act makes us complicit.

Faith leaders can leverage the ethical dimension of the discussion, amplify the call to action and press political leaders to act. It starts by telling the truth. The World Council of Churches issued a Pentecost message that reads as follows: "To prophesy is to tell the truth". Theologian Stanley Hauerwas challenges the church to be a counterpoint to mendacity. In a post-truth world, Stanley said, "perhaps the Church can become known as the community that tells the truth".

Religious leaders around the world have declared climate emergencies and we encourage Bishop Mary to join them. The most important thing we can do to reduce emissions is to move away from fossil fuels. In the Anglican Diocese of Montreal this means acting on the 2015 divestment motion and prioritizing climate action.  

Despite the seriousness of the situation, our film concludes with a welcoming and hopeful and invitation.  

Click here to see the film.

Related
Introducing the SEC's Eightfold Path of Environmental Action
Right Understanding: Knowing the facts about climate change
Right Thought: How we think about the natural world
Right Speech: Effective environmental communications
Right Action: Making smaller footprints

Right Works: Efforts that benefit the planet
Right Effort: Choosing a cause
Right Concentration: Staying focused on creation
Right Mindfulness: Managing ecological stress

Thursday, October 1, 2020

Right Concentration: Staying Focused on Creation

God be in my head, and in my understanding; God be in mine eyes, and in my looking; God be in my mouth, and in my speaking: god be in mine heart, and in my thinking; God be at my end, and and my departing. 

- John Rutter

This is the penultimate installment in the series the Eightfold Path of Environmental Action. This series offers helpful information and tips related to climate change and the environment. It is a companion to The Seed, a short film that was launched at the end of the Season of Creation on October 4, 2020.


How do we stay focused on climate change and ecological degradation? Even though these are arguably the most important global problems humans have ever faced we have not done and are not doing anywhere near enough.  If we are to be honest with ourselves we must acknowledge that we are not heeding the call to be good stewards of creation. As explained in an Anglican Journal article we are facing record-breaking temperatures, melting polar icecaps and an entire continent literally on fire.

Most of us deal with a range of issues and distractions in our day to day life and this makes it easy to lose focus. However, there are a few things we can do to ensure that we prioritize creation care and every faith tradition offers a plethora of reasons why we must do so.

In the Anglican tradition caring for creation is at the core of our faith. To remain focused we can remind ourselves of the Fifth Mark of Mission which calls us "to strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew life on the earth".  

We can also listen to the words of Archbishop Linda Nicholls, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada. She has repeatedly called on the church to take action on climate change, calling stewardship of the earth and the care of creation, "a core responsibility of our faith." She asks, "how do we proclaim that vision of creation as a gift of God that we are called to steward and that we should be at the very forefront of those that are fighting for it?"  Primate Nicholls calls us to green our churches and live more sustainably.

However, staying focused on creation is not only about our own efforts or even the greening of our churches, it is about encouraging governments and other institutions to develop and implement environmentally sustainable policies. According to PWSEJ director Ryan Weston, acting on the personal or congregational level is insignificant on its own. Weston supports theological reflections on stewardship and promotes the advocacy tools and resources produced by Creation Matters.  

As reflected by the climate-related motions carried at the last General Synod Anglicans are increasingly focused on creation care. Resolution C003, commits the General Synod to recognize, on behalf of the Anglican Church of Canada, that there is a global climate emergency; to encourage Anglicans to prioritize the baptismal covenant and fifth Mark of Mission (To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth); to seek collaboration with other Canadian faith communities to "strengthen our voice on climate change". The Anglican Church of Canada is responding to climate change on an ecumenical and interfaith basis. Networking is a major priority for Creation Matters and as part of that effort, the church is working towards coordinated action through its membership in organizations such as KAIROS Canada, Citizens for Public Justice, the Canadian Council of Churches and the Anglican Communion Environmental Network.

Our focus may be strengthened by the realization that what is at stake is both the future of the church but the future of life on this planet. Youth delegate Brynne Blaikie, who first brought Resolution C003 forward at General Synod, says addressing the climate emergency is an obligation for all who live and depend on the earth and she added it may also determine the future of the church. "One of the biggest problems the Anglican Church faces is a decreasing number of young people in worship," Blaikie says. "Some young people do not feel any connection to faith communities. I believe one of the biggest ways to connect with younger generations is showing support for what they find important. Now is the time to actively make the life of the earth a priority in our faith."

Another way of staying focused is remembering that we owe this to our children and grandchildren. As explained by Creation Matters, co-chair Nancy Harvey, "I have grandchildren and really, really worry about the future for them," Harvey says.

Simply spending time in nature may also help to remind us why we must prioritize these issues. The beauty of God's creation benefits us spiritually, psychologically and physically. By understanding these benefits we are more likely to take care of it. We are dependent on nature and how we treat God's creation reflects on us and our faith. 

Deborah Barretto, director of Resources for Mission, shares the view that the church needs to prioritize climate action and she hopes her department can help. "We have to change people’s ways of doing things nationally, but also globally," Barretto says. "I think if we can play a part in that, that’s important…. But I still think we have a long way to go in making people aware of what needs to be done." We are faced with a stark choice we can either heed Barretto's message and focus on creation care or we can augur ruin on a planetary scale.  

Click here to see the SEC's short film The Seed.

Related
Introducing the SEC's Eightfold Path of Environmental Action
Right Understanding: Knowing the facts about climate change
Right Thought: How we think about the natural world
Right Speech: Effective environmental communications
Right Action: Making smaller footprints

Right Works: Efforts that benefit the planet
Right Effort: Choosing a cause
Right Concentration: Staying focused on creation
Right Mindfulness: Managing ecological stress

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Eight Christian and Faith Based Resources that Support Climate Action

Here are Christian and other faith-based resources to help communities to act on climate change. These resources include how to expertise and step by step best practices. They address ways of greening church and other buildings as well as other actions that can be taken in support of a more sustainable world.  Many of these resources provide overlapping guidance but they all share a common focus on minimizing environmental impacts focusing on the critical issue of greenhouse gas emissions reduction. 

The Stewardship of the Environment Committee in the Anglican Diocese of Montreal has also produced Eightfold Path of Environmental Action a companion piece for its short film The Seed, that will be launched at the end of the Season of Creation on October 4, 2020.  This document promotes climate action and is broken down into 8 separate modules that focus on understanding, thought, speech, action, works, efforts, concentration and mindfulness.  Click here to access these documents.

One of the most helpful documents is the guidance laid out in The Practical Path to Net Zero Carbon for Churches: Advice and guidance for church buildings. This document from the Church of England offers a practical path that helps to answer the questions of where to start and what to do to zero-out emissions. The recommendations are relatively easy, with relatively quick pay back.  The guidance provides actions that nearly all churches can benefit from (even low occupancy churches).  The goal of this document is to help churches reduce their energy use and associated carbon emissions. They are based on the findings of a church energy audit programme and input from of a range of professionals in the field. Click here to access the document.

Another useful resource comes from The Sustainability Education and Energy Knowledge-sharing (SEEK) Project. This action research project of the Spirituality and Sustainability Initiative catalyzes the values-driven leadership of cohesive social networks, such as congregations to accelerate societal energy transitions through education, technical assistance and social innovation. Click here to access this document. 

ENERGY STAR has produced a document that shows that the worship facilities can see an average energy savings of 30 percent or more with no-cost actions, strategic investment, and smart operations and maintenance. Click here to access this document.

In addition to the four documents reviewed above here are four other helpful resources: