June 26, 2010

Friends,

I have been called to work on the oil spill and head for Pensacola, FL early tomorrow morning. I will be working with the interpretive staff of Gulf Islands National Seashore (one of my old parks) helping them develop visitor programs that incorporate information and messages about what is happening with the spill.

I've also been told that they need me to help the staff there come to grips with the feelings they are all experiencing since the oil started coming ashore. That is going to be very emotional for both them and me - all of this is dredging up the experiences that I had with the Exxon Valdez oil spill back in Alaska.

So, please pray for me if you will! I need all the help I can get.

Anne

This is a copy of the e-mail that I and many of Anne Castellina’s friends received this past June. Anne is a member of Christ Church, Bradenton, and until her retirement, Anne was a member of the National Park Service and had served as Superintendant of a number of parks including the Kenai Fjords National Park and Gulf Islands National Seashore. I share this e-mail because for those of you who do not know Anne, this may help to put a more personal touch on this disaster.

Originally, I was asked to write an article highlighting the scriptural imperatives of ecology and decreasing our carbon footprint; but, frankly, I’ve read many articles on this subject and “enough is enough!” I want to share with you some thoughts that have come to me in recent weeks about what one might call “Green Spirituality.”

Years ago, I was fortunate enough to be able to participate in a weekend retreat whose theme was Indian Spirituality. One of the things that all of us came to appreciate was the Native Americans’ reverence for nature. Earth is their Mother and the Great Spirit can be seen in all of nature. The Earth is not one’s to own, it is used but not abused. And Native Americans accept the reality that they are a part of nature – they come from the Earth and upon their death they will return to it. Many indigenous cultures have customs such as the creation of Prayer Circles – with prayers to the four compass points and with stones collected during travel one can create a sacred space anywhere one chooses.
Now compare that to the way our culture views the Earth. When many of our forbearers read that man was to have “dominion” over all creation, it is apparent that this was interpreted to mean that humans had the right to do whatever they wished with the earth and all of the living things found thereon. As one observer put it, “The Earth would be much better off if we honored it as we do our Mothers.”

At the July 2010 Episcopal College Chaplains’ Conference we heard Rev. Stan White speak on the subject "The Art of Resurrection." On the first day he gave a litany of things that “dry up our Souls.” A part of that litany was what he called “our urban culture;” two points that struck me were – (1) the loss of our connection with nature and (2) the disconnect with our food sources. Regarding point #1, Rev. Stan pointed out that first and foremost we have lost darkness, heat and cold, meaning that we have lost touch with the cycle of nature. Unless one is an avid gardener, one rarely comes into contact with nature. We live in buildings that keep us from contact with the natural world; if we have garages in which we can actually park a vehicle, we can move from our living space to the garage and from there into our car which serves as a cocoon on wheels that keeps us from contact with nature.

I could go on, but I’m sure you have gotten the point. And oftentimes when one participates in a program or reads about developing one’s spirituality, inevitably it is suggested that you try to create a sacred space within your home where you can go to be quiet and commune with God. Why not take a page out of the Indians’ book and escape to nature where God’s handiwork completely surrounds you? As for point number 2, I am sure many of you are familiar with the story of a parent asking her child where his food comes from and the child’s response was, “The grocery store.” At first one smiles, even chuckles at this, but the reality is that this story is a tragedy. And, what is even sadder is that this story is not limited to young children; there are many college students that have only a glimmer of an idea as to where their food comes from. This disconnect from our food sources leads to a disconnect with the land, a disconnect with God’s creation.

During the past few decades many Episcopalians have been introduced to the New Zealand Prayer Book and to services coming out of the Iona Community. And many, like I, have been drawn to the spirituality found in these two sources. I can’t speak for others, but I am drawn to the prayers because they remind me of how sacred all of creation is, how much we owe to the Earth and how we are called upon to be stewards, not masters, of her. There are prayers for those who work the land and provide us with the food we have to eat, there are prayers of thanksgiving for God’s gift of this beautiful planet, and there are even prayers begging God’s forgiveness for our selfish misuse of this gift.
We need to “escape” the world that we humans have made and once more become a part of the world that God created. When we care for the Earth we are also caring for ourselves, for others who share this planet with us, and for future generations. When we strive to save the Earth, we also serve God who is the creator of all things.

When I first heard of the oil spill in the Gulf, Lord Byron’s poem “Apostrophe to the Ocean” came to mind, especially these following lines:

Man marks the earth with ruin, his control
Stops with the shore;….

Time writes no wrinkle on thine azure brow;
Such as creation's dawn beheld, thou rollest now…..

Thou glorious mirror, where the Almighty's form
Glasses itself in tempests;….

The image of Eternity - the throne
Of the Invisible;….

What would Byron do were he here today? My guess is that he would weep as many of us have. But we mustn’t simply wring our hands and bewail what has occurred. We must resolve to take whatever actions are necessary to save “this Earth, our island home.” It is not enough to admit our personal culpability in this and other ecological disasters, we have to truly repent which means that we each have to change our ways.

I leave you with this thought from J. Matthew Sleeth’s book Serve God, Save the Planet: A Christian Call to Action - “...the most important change is not the car you drive or the house you live in. What we need most is a change of heart.” (p. 193)

Deacon Kathy Gilpin
Diocesan Green Team
Assistant to the Chaplain at State College of Florida, Bradenton