On a beautiful Saturday morning during Earth Month, dozens of advocates convened at Binkley Memorial Baptist Church for a Forum on Religion, Ethics, and Ecology. Eco-Justice Connection staff, Susannah Tuttle and Ren Martin, facilitated a discussion on some of the most pressing issues of our time: environmental justice and democracy. Among the panelists of the event were environmental justice leaders Karenna Gore, William Barber III, and Herman Greene. As the day went on, several themes emerged: human isolation, apathy toward environmental destruction, and the importance of connecting to nature. At the end of the event, I shared a poem created from the themes and my reflections of the day:
We are a part, not apart from the earth. This beautiful world that gave birth to us all. We are not alone… Nor can we be, when you address the reality that the few who are in power refuse to see: We are working in silos, being raised like cattle to the slaughter. Corporations see how unlikely it is for us to succeed in stopping their own greed in time for our children to have a life. A life worth living. For the earth to keep breathing. What is this sinking feeling? As the ocean rises, island nations disappear. As our lakes and rivers deplete, Indigenous communities, Black and brown communities scream, “We are here!” How do we stop this feeling from consuming us? As the air chokes our lungs, how can we afford to take a breather from the climate crisis? Black and brown communities are stuck living this reality every day. There must be some other way to make this whole broken system okay.
In my heart, and possibly, my childish nativity, I deeply believe love and faith will lead the way!
Not geoengineering, but human ingenuity. Not isolation, but beloved community. We must look at the past, not to recreate disparity, but to provide context, respect, and familiarity to what our ancestors fought for… Not the colonization that continues to this day, but the ways in which we’ll return to the earth. An eco-conscious rebirth of indigenous practices, African ancestral masses, and the magic we have left behind in our roots in fear of being killed. Framed in this witch hunt of which hurt will prove to be the most effective in controlling the masses.
The world is turned upside down, and we are lost at sea. Adrift, fighting against the currents of colonial powers erasing our identities. This is our passage. The time is now. Let us part the seas, break free from materialistic debt and wage slavery. We must reclaim our beloved community. Let us love one another. Not “other” your sisters, siblings, and brothers. Create grassroots powers founded on spirituality and the oneness of earth. This place of rebirth… We are a part, not apart of the movement to create our heaven, right here on earth. Let us honor our one existence for all it’s worth.
The conversations at this convening of advocates, community members, and faith leaders will forever stay in my heart and mind. Going to events like this–embodying a beloved community with people who care enough to wake up at 8 AM on a Saturday morning–that’s what gives me hope during a time of planetary crisis and political decline.
