Earth Day 2019
The following piece is shared by John Mix, CMMB’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications. In recognition of Earth Day 2019, John reflects on the origins of Earth Day and its intersection with the Catholic Faith.
Perhaps it comes as no surprise that a massive environmental disaster gave rise to the creation of Earth Day. It was in 1969 when the then Wisconsin Senator, Gaylord Nelson, witnessed a three-million-gallon oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara. From that catastrophe, Senator Nelson found his inspiration and by the following year, 1970, America celebrated its very first Earth Day. What began as a national movement to focus attention and support for the environment has now, nearly half a century later, become a global event with more than 192 countries and an estimated one billion participants.
Earth Day is celebrated on April 22nd, which means that this year it falls on the Monday after Easter. Easter Sunday concludes the most holy week for Christians and the day we rejoice in the good news of our risen savior and his victory over death. As Christians, we might be left to wonder – what is our obligation to Earth Day? When we look to the bible, caring for the Earth is not a secular concept. Long before Senator Nelson suggested we should care, we were instructed to at the beginning, I mean at the very beginning… it was in fact our first job.
When God created this planet for us he did not intend for us to neglect it, or worse abuse it. In fact, the opposite is true. We were told to keep it, to care for it. This call to care is the 7th principal of our Catholic Social Teaching, “Care for God’s Creation.” Meaning, Earth Day is more than a slogan or a day to enjoy the outdoors. It is a part of our faith. Earth Day is also an opportunity for us to show our deep love for God and respect for his creation. When we protect the planet, we are living out our faith publicly.
There is another tenet of the Catholic Social Teaching that can be lived out through Earth Day, and that is the principle of solidarity. The principle of solidarity tells us we are one human family, which makes us all brothers and sisters, and in that we are all each other’s keepers. As Pope Francis has said:
“So as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor…,” these words really do get to the heart of it. The impact of climate change often causes the greatest devastation to the most vulnerable among us. Many who are living in poverty rely on agriculture and natural resources to survive. As ecosystems begin to degrade, natural resources become even more scarce and agriculture more difficult. And, for those that do manage to maintain their livelihoods, the increased intensity of weather patterns may wipe it all away in just a few hours.
We have all seen the devastating effects a natural disaster can have on a community, like the recent record-breaking cyclone that struck Southern Africa, leaving millions struggling to obtain clean water, food, and shelter. If we believe in solidarity, if we believe we are all brothers and sisters, then we need to acknowledge the causes that bring such suffering among our family.
With that said, go… go celebrate Earth Day! We should all celebrate because we love God! We should celebrate because we want to let him know how thankful we are that he loves us in return, loves us so much that he saw fit to give us this beautiful home we share with all his creation.