Earth Day Again

Earth Day Again

“For in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible.”—Colossians 1:16a.

DOK Western Missouri

The verse from Colossians is an ancient Christian hymn describing who Christ is. I also see it as a reminder to look for the Christ in ourselves and others. moment by moment. I know how difficult this is. Sometimes, the Christ is so visible—and sometimes invisible.

In the Thornton Wilder play Our Town, I think of Emily, who is allowed to return to earth for one day to Grover’s Corners after her young, untimely death at age twenty-six. She chooses her twelfth birthday and soon returns to her grave—when she can no longer bear watching as the people she loves barely interact with each other. They seem unable to appreciate the joy and wonder of each new day together and fail to see the Christ in each other.

I am reminded of a past Earth Day when I listened to music about the earth, such as Beethoven’s Sixth Pastoral Symphony, as we traveled from a reunion in Virginia to the Gulf Coast. Hearing this symphony immediately reminds me of our four years in Iowa City. The music was the background for a visual production of the Iowa outdoors called Iowa, A Place to Grow, a reminder to bloom where we were planted and appreciate the beauty of the earth and the people of that state.

I remember the first Earth Day in 1970. It was the day my husband of six months left for Vietnam for a year. I was pregnant with our first child and felt sorry for myself. I spent the day watching the Earth Day celebration on our small black and white television and stripping the wax off our kitchen floor. I knew I had to transform the energy generated by Robert’s leaving into something useful. I wish I could write here that I planted trees, but my kitchen floor was as far as I got.

I do remember one Earth Day trip when we drove through a gentle rain. The car radio played American composer Alan Hovhaness’s tribute to a beloved tree on his uncle’s farm struck by lightning, “Under the Ancient Maple Tree.” The best I could do that day was enjoy the ride, give thanks for the rain, and be grateful for the bountiful green trees keeping us alive along Interstate 85. Today, that Earth Day, is even more meaningful since we recently had lightning strike a tree in our backyard so close to our house. We hope to care for that tree, knowing it took a hit for us.

I wish I could say I participated in some extraordinary events to care for and thank our earth, especially its trees, on the other fifty-five Earth Days since that first one. Still, I honestly cannot remember many Earth Days.

I think of my father, a forester who led hundreds of expeditions to plant pine seedlings. I remember on trips how he often pointed out the tall, grown trees he had planted. Now, many years later, I thank him for his plantings. I know he would be proud of our daughter, Joanna. She also has a master’s degree in forestry, taught wilderness classes at the University of Montana, and is a masterful outdoors lover.

From my father and daughter, I have learned that our environment, the outdoors, and especially trees, keeps us grounded in the present moment. I think Emily in Our Town seems to be talking about this present moment, where we learn to appreciate each precious gift of time, especially time with those we love.

Emily in Our Town

My experience is that I live most consciously in the present moment when I am outdoors, seeing the trees and plants. I realize that something more significant is happening than the past and future with which I am so preoccupied.

I am reminded of Parker Palmer’s thoughts that, as trees photosynthesize light energy to chemical energy, they transform or photosynthesize our energy when we are outdoors.

On a recent Earth Day, we drove through northwest Arkansas and western Missouri to meet with over fifty Daughters of the King of the Diocese of Western Missouri. The trees, especially the cedars, the rolling hills, creeks, and bridges, were stunning, as were these extraordinary women. We talked a lot about living in the present. That day, we experienced it as well.

C. S. Lewis and so many others, and now Emily, all remind us that the present moment, not the past or the future, is where we meet and recognize God in ourselves, each other, and nature. Caring for and being in nature is one of the best ways to know the Creator, the God of Love.

I hope that if we can live as much as possible in the present moment, savor it, and let love be our guide, we may be able to overcome our social and warring unrest better than we were before.

Joanna. Joannaseibert.com https://www.joannaseibert.com/

Return on Blue Sky on Earth Day

Charleston: Return of the Blue Sky on Earth Day

"Did you notice any stories about the return of the blue sky? Unfortunately, there were not many of them, and they were usually tucked away behind other news reports that seemed much more critical. But they were there: the return of clear skies above cities like Los Angeles, which had not been seen for generations. As the traffic level declined, the pollution declined, and the clear sky appeared like a sign from heaven.

It is a visual aid to show us that positive change is possible on the other side of COVID-19. Not just for the environment, but our whole society. The blue skies can return for us in many ways if we have the courage to change."—Bishop Steven Charleston's Facebook Page.

ted soqui NBC News

Today, we celebrate the 55th anniversary of Earth Day. Last year, Bishop Charleston reminded us that trying to stop this pandemic had given our planet a rest. As a result, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions fell worldwide. For example, India's capital, New Delhi, is one of the world's most polluted cities. But its skies were now blue, and many could see the Himalayas Mountains for the first time.

Researchers found a 5 to 10% decrease in air pollutants, such as carbon dioxide, in New York. Carbon monoxide emissions dropped by 50%. Grounding flights, reducing cars on the road, and shutting down businesses and factories brought about the change. Some predicted we might reach the Paris Climate Accord goals even sooner. In Venice, canal water was so clear that fish were easily seen. This may be because there are no boats and people in its waters. But environmentalists warn all this could be temporary. 

Today, all of this has been at a great expense—the death of over one million people in our own country and over 7 million worldwide. We can only guess what it will be tomorrow if we have another flare-up of infections.  

Bishop Charleston tells us to give thanks for the blue sky, honor its presence, imagine ways to keep the skies blue, and never forget the cost in the lives of so many who died. There must be another way to save our planet that is not so costly.

Joanna. Joannaseibert.com. https://www.joannaseibert.com/

Nothing Can Separate Us

Nothing Can Separate Us

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”—Romans 8:38-39.

I talk to many people who do not believe they deserve God’s love. I remember visiting with a very alert, highly educated woman in her 90s, still involved in her successful business, who wanted to start going back to church—but only after she got her life together and felt she was a better person. I told her the famous line, “The church is not a museum for saints, but a hospital for sinners.” But she never returned.

I talk to many people recovering from addiction who feel so much shame for the life they have led. They do not see how God and others can forgive them. So many have been taught to fear a judgmental God looking over their shoulder to catch them in sin.

I want to tell them there is another way, a belief in resurrection, an Easter that can be redeemed after a Good Friday life or experience. I remind them of Jesus’ disciples who abandoned and denied him if I can. He did not return to them in that upper room on Easter evening and say, “Shame on you.” Instead, he said, “Peace be with you.… When he said this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven.” (John 20:21-23).

We discuss the difference between shame, “I am a bad person,” and guilt, “I did a wrong thing.” We also talk about addiction not being a moral failing but a disease. Finally, we look for any sign of God’s love alive and well, working in their life. We pray that the Holy Spirit will lead both of us to recognize this presence alive in each other so we will both see and be led by Christ in each other.

Sometimes, I tell my story of  God’s presence in my life through many difficulties to see if they recognize similarities between my story and theirs.

 Lastly, I may share the above mantra from Romans that I still use as I became aware of my harm to others and myself and now seek forgiveness.

Sometimes, I share this image from Trinity Cathedral’s Pierce Chapel of Jesus, the Light of the World, with his bright lantern, constantly seeking us to love us.

Joanna. Joannaseibert.com. https://www.joannaseibert.com/