“We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today.
We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now.
In this unfolding conundrum of life and history,
there “is” such a thing as being too late.
This is no time for apathy or complacency.
This is a time for vigorous and positive action.”
- The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 1967
Today, we are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. Tomorrow is today as we find ourselves in the midst of a global ecological and human crisis we have never before confronted, a crisis of our own making. Our way of life, modern industrial society, is destroying Earth’s eco-systems, the systems of life that give birth to and sustain every living being – human and other than human. Rapid global climate change, mass species extinction, the global spread of synthetic toxins, deforestation, the strip mining of oceans, the dying of coral reefs and massive amounts of plastics filling the oceans around the planet; all of this and much more, is moving us on, what Rachel Carson called, “a smooth superhighway on which we progress with great speed, but at its end lies disaster” (Silent Spring, 1962).
We believe that though this global crisis is an economic, political and technological concern, it is primarily a matter of the human heart; it is a fundamental moral and spiritual issue. Our collective faith traditions have deep wisdom to share as we seek inner resources to do the work of environmental justice. As such, the Interreligious Eco-Justice Network affirms the following:
- God, the One known by many names or no name, is Creator of the universe in all its diversity, richness and vitality. The Divine breath gives life to all living beings and therefore, creation is a sacred gift. The universe is the primary revelation of the Divine, and all created beings, human and other than human, are unique modes of divine revelation. Everything we own, everything we use, even our very selves, belong to the Creator.
- Creation is good. We live in a world of beauty and wonder, a world animated by the blessing and love of the Creator. All existence is sufficient, structured and ordered for the sake of all species of life. It is harmonious and has a wisdom of its own. All beings have purpose in life and have intrinsic value. Humans are a part of this order; not above, below or apart from. We, like all creatures, have an essential and integral role to play in creation.
- Human beings have special characteristics that no other creatures possess which gives us power to either tend, nurture and enhance, or to disrupt and destroy life. The intention of human beings, our purpose within creation, is that of care-takers or stewards. As such, we have ethical limits in order to balance the needs of humans and the health of Earth and all other creatures.
- Our religious traditions teach that our concern is to be for all living beings in the web of life and not limited to our own species. Our conduct as stewards/care-takers of creation is rooted in a compassionate concern for all living beings.
- The scriptures of all of our religious traditions, both written and oral, declare the Creator’s love for all creation. God’s covenant is with humanity and all living creatures, and therefore, we affirm the sacredness of Earth and all creatures. The scriptures also declare that God is intimately involved in the ongoing life of creation and calls humanity to responsible care, nurture, renewal and the healing of creation.
- Our traditions also teach us that there can be no separation between ecological wholeness and human justice. In this present crisis, it is the poor and most vulnerable humans who are suffering first and most deeply. Those who are the least responsible for the global ecological crisis are those who are the least able to adapt to the changing degradation of Earth’s eco-systems.
- The crisis is also a matter of generational justice. It is the moral responsibility of each human generation to pass on a habitable planet to the next generations of human and other than human creatures.
- The current ecological and human crisis is primarily an ethical and spiritual matter. We human beings are responsible for our actions, individually and collectively and therefore, have a moral commitment to adopt ways of living that are consistent with all life. We have a responsibility to design and implement ways of living that work with and help restore Earth’s eco-systems and all living beings.
The Interreligious Eco-Justice Network calls upon all people of faith and goodwill to reflect upon and deepen themselves in their particular religious traditions in order to participate in practices, life-styles and civic engagement that will foster the mutual enhancement of Earth and all living beings. We ask that you add your voice to ours and make this statement a call to action in your own faith community as we join together as one towards this common, urgent, vital purpose.
“If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
If I am for myself only, what am I?
And if not now, when?”
- Hillel, “Ethics of the Fathers”
“…truly, Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves…”
- Quran 13:11
“Humankind has not woven the web of life.
We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together. All things connect.”
- Chief Seattle
