October. 2017 Creation Corner Column
Faith Groups and Saint Francis
To
follow last month's column re: religious leaders raising up climate
justice concerns for the integrity of creation, one can glance at some
examples from those in the "Keepers of the Faith" contingent at the April 29 People's Climate March in Washington D.C.
Presbyterians
for Earth Care; United Methodists; United Church of Christ
Environmental Justice Ministry and Creation Justice teams; state
Inter-faith Power & Light offices; North Carolina Council of
Churches; Unitarian-Universalists for Social Justice; American Jewish
World Service; Adrian Dominican Sisters; Sikh Environmental Day; Green
Muslims; Indigenous Environmental Network Faith Leaders; and many
others.
Other
contingents were Protectors of Justice; Creators of Sanctuary; Builders
of Democracy; Guardians of the Future; Defenders of Truth; Reshapers of
Power; Many Struggles, One Home.
"Rise Up, O Saints of God!" hymn verses:
"Speak
out, O saints of God, Despair engulfs earth's frame...(v.2); Give heed,
O saints of God! Creation cries in pain...(v.4); Redress sin's cruel
consequence, Give justice larger place...(v.3). Lutheran Book of
Worship Hymn 383, Norman O. Forness (b. 1936), text.
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October 3 each year the church raises up St. Francis of Assisi Day.
Environmentalists often regard him as their patron saint. Francis
renounced materialism in living a life of humility, simplicity and
dedicated his love to the whole divinely created world.
In his "sermon to the birds" he said "Your home is in the purity of the air." Today, according to the United Nations Environmental Assembly each year roughly seven million people die prematurely because of poor air quality.
A slogan from the National Audubon Society is " Protect the birds and we protect the Earth."
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