A Living Alternative

This Tuesday (April 22) was the celebration of Earth Day. Part of the reason I put it off was that I wanted to save my reflection for today (as St. Francis is the patron saint of the environment/ecology), but it was also because I have mixed feelings about the day. Makeesha shared her own misgivings, which reaffirmed my own feelings.

It isn't that I am opposed to Earth Day. Setting aside one day a year to give special attention to something this important helps us remember its overall significance. As a Christian, I believe that our involvement on issues of ecological responsibility and justice is critical. The failure of the Church to fulfil our vocation as caretakers of Creation is not just a recent one, but a centuries old pattern that demands repentance.

My concern with Earth Day, at least in respect to Christian involvement, is that it is primarily a product of the environmental/eco-activist movement. While I am not opposed to this movement in general, I hold the deep conviction that, for Christians, it fails to adequately offer an engagement with Creation that is consistant with our faith. By this I mean that, as we begin to understand our intended relationship with Creation, we will see that the activism emphasis barely brushes the surface.

St. Francis was named the patron saint of ecology in 1979 by Pope John Paul II, nine years after Earth Day had begun being celebrated. Since then, St. Francis has been embraced as an icon of ecological responsibility. However, his example has too often been reduced to sentimental cliches. Further, when we consider Francis's historical and cultural context, it becomes clear that Francis would have found environmentalism a strange and incomprehensible concept. A closer look at Francis reveals a timely and challenging model for Christian engagement with Creation.

One of the extraordinary things about Francis and his impact on the world was that he did so primarily through his example. While he left very little formal writing, he was a gifted poet and song writer, leaving a wealth of wisdom wrapped in the beauty of verse. In the highly rationale worldview most of us function in, it is easy to dismiss such writing as romantic, sentimental and/or trite, but in reality, Francis intentionally endowed these works with profound wisdom.

Francis looked to all of Creation, both living and (what we would call) inanimate, with a familial mutuality. He calls us to a loving relationality rather than a utilitarian exploitation of nature. For Francis, this interconnectedness with Creation found culmination in the Eucharist- the elements born from the fruits of the earth and of our labours, becoming the Body and Blood of Christ through which we are bound together as the Church. This sacramental view did not leave room for anything but fraternal love and caring service.

It is tragic how our view of the world around us has become so fragmented- dis-integrated, pulling ourselves and Creation apart from relationship with God in a unity that is part of the very direction of His redemptive plan. It is not about achieving equality with God or elevating Creation beyond it's "place", but rather it is about reconciliation with God, for His purposes, for His glory.

A beautiful example is found in Francis' famous "Laudes Creaturarum" ("Praise of the Creatures"), better known as the "Canticle of the Sun":

Most High, all-powerful, all-good Lord,
All praise is Yours, all glory, honor and blessings.
To you alone, Most High, do they belong;
no mortal lips are worthy to pronounce Your Name.

We praise You, Lord, for all Your creatures,
especially for Brother Sun,
who is the day through whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor,
of You Most High, he bears your likeness.

We praise You, Lord, for Sister Moon and the stars,
in the heavens you have made them bright, precious and fair.

We praise You, Lord, for Brothers Wind and Air,
fair and stormy, all weather's moods,
by which You cherish all that You have made.

We praise You, Lord, for Sister Water,
so useful, humble, precious and pure.

We praise You, Lord, for Brother Fire,
through whom You light the night.
He is beautiful, playful, robust, and strong.

We praise You, Lord, for Sister Earth,
who sustains us
with her fruits, colored flowers, and herbs.

We praise You, Lord, for those who pardon,
for love of You bear sickness and trial.
Blessed are those who endure in peace,
by You Most High, they will be crowned.

We praise You, Lord, for Sister Death,
from whom no-one living can escape.
Woe to those who die in their sins!
Blessed are those that She finds doing Your Will.
No second death can do them harm.

We praise and bless You, Lord, and give You thanks,
and serve You in all humility.

Missional, St. Francis, Earth Day, Ecology