Perspective

Perspective matters. The way we see the world, and ourselves in it, informs how we make decisions and move through our lives.

 Are we the center of the world, of the universe? Are we at the top of some great chain of being with the rest of creation under our feet, there for our pleasure and exploitation?

 These have and continue to be ways that people have seen the world and lived their lives. However, I believe that this has contributed to many of the environmental crises we face, like climate change, habitat destruction, species extinctions, pollution…

 A part of the way forward, I believe, is changing our perspective, thus, hopefully, changing the ways we inhabit this planet.

 For me, that has been claiming that I am a part of this creation, not separated from it. That is what science tells us, through evolution and ecology, that we are connected to everything else through time and space.

 However, it is also what our tradition tells us. We are a part of God’s good creation, with perhaps one addition. We have responsibility, a responsibility to care for our fellow creatures, to be good stewards of this world that God has made.

 Responding to the environmental crises is part of our Christian witness, and our faith is, in fact, an asset to that end.  

Thanks be to God!

CG+