There were many inspiring people there, and we joined our voices in some call-and-response chants as well as offered a walking witness through much of downtown Pasadena. Yet, one thing was missing: a compelling faith voice rooted in a spirituality of respect and love for creation as our neighbor. Of course, you don't have to be religious to care for the environment. But radical activism is nurtured by a radical faith.
On March 1, there will be another event, much larger than the one from last week. It is the beginning of a climate change march that starts in Long Beach and continues through November all the way to Washington, DC against the Keystone XL Pipeline. There are many ways to support it, from attending the opening ceremony on the 1st, walking the first few miles in solidarity, or joining for a small leg of the journey when it is near your neighborhood. You will see it in our upcoming events e-news sections over the next several weeks, including a link to sign up or learn more.
What if progressive Christians pitched spiritual reflection as an important part of the process of justice-seeking by raising subversive questions and offering scandalous answers? In the issue of climate change as well as others, might our witness offer a prophetic alternative to either secular activism or religious isolation? If nothing else, it would help deepen our own motivation in protecting our planet. For it and our activist sisters and brothers need our voices; they need to hear from us, so let's do some subversive spiritual reflection and action, for Christ's sake!
On the journey,
Timothy Murphy
Executive Director
PS ~ Artists Random (AKA MegaRan) and Lost Perception created an insightful eco-justice hip hop song called "Cry Of The Planet," and you can listen and view the lyrics here.