Interfaith Insight - 2021
Permanent link for "Religious holidays and Earth Day opportunities ahead" by Doug Kindschi on March 30, 2021
Important days are ahead, for religious holidays as well as
opportunities to focus on “healing our earth.”
Passover or Pesach began last Saturday evening with the
traditional Seder meal. This primarily family event is built around
telling the story of the exodus from slavery in Egypt to eventual
freedom in the promised land. Often forgotten is the 40 years of
wilderness that took place in-between.
This week for Christians, known as Holy Week, began with Palm
Sunday and continues with Maundy Thursday commemorating Jesus’
observance of the Passover meal with his disciples, known as the Last
Supper. Friday represents the day of Jesus’ Crucifixion and then
Sunday is the Easter celebration. The day in-between Good Friday and
Easter is Holy Saturday, the traditional end of Lent. Many traditions
barely recognize this day, but in some ways it mirrors the time in the
wilderness prior to the ancient Hebrews attaining freedom.
Muslims will soon begin the month of Ramadan, fasting from dawn
to dusk. It is a time of reflection and repentance, in some ways
similar to what Christians do during Lent. Ramadan begins on April 12
and goes to May 12, when that evening and the next day the feast of
Eid al-Fitr takes place. It is a festive celebration of breaking the
fast and brings families, friends, and communities together.
While the separate narratives are important, it is of interest to
note the similarities in the rhythm of these annual celebrations from
the various faith traditions.
Later this month, on April 22, is the 51st anniversary of Earth
Day, often referred to as the beginning of the modern environmental
movement. Our religious traditions have, however, stressed the
importance of caring for the creation in their sacred writings and
teachings for hundreds, even thousands, of years.
In recent years, this agreement among the religions is reflected
in the documents that came from a meeting in Assisi of
five faith traditions called together by Prince Phillip of the United
Kingdom. In 1986, representatives from Buddhism, Christianity,
Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism met to discuss how their faiths could
come together to help save the natural world. Out of their efforts,
the Alliance of Religions and Conservation was formed and other
traditions joined, each presenting their declarations relating their
teaching to the need to preserve the environment.
Jewish tradition and Scripture recognize the world as a creation
from God, and that it is good. Adam was created to tend the garden and
be steward of the earth. Psalm 24 affirms again “The earth is the
Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” Hence any act that damages our
earth and natural order is an offense against God’s creation.
In the Talmud one reads about Choni, a very pious man who was
walking near a field where an old man was planting a carob tree. He
inquired of the old man how long it would be until the tree would bear
fruit. The man responded that carob trees bear fruit only after 70
years. Choni then asked if he planned to eat the fruit from the tree,
to which the old man replied: "Just as my ancestors saw to it
that when I came into the world I found fruit trees that I could eat
from, so to I am making sure my descendants will have fruit trees
available when they come into the world."
Thus, Jewish teaching is that each generation must preserve the
earth so that future generations will have an environment that will
meet their needs and enable them to thrive.
Muslims believe that the natural resources of the earth are a
blessing from the creator and that they will be asked on the day of
judgment how they used, protected, and conserved these resources. As
khalifahs, or guardians, of the planet we have responsibility for its
care and preservation. The misuse of our resources is a corruption
which will destroy God’s creation for which we will be responsible.
The Qur’an says: “Corruption has appeared on land and sea. Because of
what people’s own hands have wrought, So that they may taste something
of what they have done; So that hopefully they will turn back.” (30:41)
The environment is a topic on which all Christians, from
progressive to evangelical, can and should agree. When asked about
care for the environment, Billy Graham in 2008 responded by praising
the churches and denominations that had urged their members to be more
active on environmental issues. He noted the dangers faced from
pollution and climate change. He wrote, “When we fail to see the world
as God’s creation, we will end up abusing it. Selfishness and greed
take over, and we end up not caring about the environment or the
problems we’re creating for future generations.”
More recently Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, a climate scientist and
active evangelical, has received acclaim for her scientific work as
well as for her speaking out about the importance of this issue. She
was featured earlier this year in Calvin University’s January Series
and her talk is available on their website. Her TED talk in 2018 is
also recommended and can be found at ted.com by searching for Katharine Hayhoe.
The Grand Dialogue in Science and Religion, a program of the
Kaufman Interfaith Institute, will be offering an upcoming series of
webinars and workshops on the topic “Healing Our Earth.” They begin
with webinars on Sunday afternoon, April 11 and 18, followed by
workshops on the days leading up to Earth Day on April 22. See the box
for further information and free registration.
Centuries ago, the rabbis told the story of two men in a rowboat
out in the water. One of them started to drill a hole in the floor of
the boat, saying it was his right to do so. The other pleaded for him
to stop since they were together in the rowboat and that hole would
make them both sink. The lesson is that we are all responsible for
what we do and its impact on others, both now and for future
generations. We are all passengers together on this rowboat called
planet Earth. We must safeguard the boat and row together.
