On Saturday, February 19, I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in Lutheran Young Adults for Climate Justice, an online event sponsored by the BC Synod and the National Church. We heard from Jeff Buhse, Erika Rodning and Katarina Kuhnert, ELCIC members who have each participated as part of The Lutheran World Federation delegations to Conference of the Parties (COP) meetings.
While Jeff, Erika and Katarina have brought different backgrounds to their participation, what they have in common is a real passion for climate justice and for their faith.
Here are a few of the things that really stuck with me from their presentations:
- Science has hands but not heart. We can provide the heart.
- It’s important to put a human face on the people who are being affected by climate change now.
- Our faith gives us tools to address these challenges.
- Decolonization is not a metaphor.
- The number of resource extraction industry lobbyists present at the recent COP was larger than any other delegation.
- Let’s be brave now.
As I listened to their presentations I was mindful of the report of the ELCIC Task Force on Carbon Neutrality that will be brought to our National Convention this summer. The discussion of this report at convention and the reaction to it across the church may be challenging.
We have within our church both committed environmentalists and people whose livelihoods depend on extractive industries. Sometimes similar conversations have been heated.
That is why I so appreciate Jeff, Erika and Katarina. They remind us that our faith gives us tools to deal with these challenges.
We have been given a variety of gifts – patience, understanding, hope, tolerance and love. We need to use these gifts when we talk about issues that we disagree on.
Jeff, Erika, and Katarina, also remind us that we need to put a human face on this.
That includes the faces of the people being affected by climate change like the community of Tuktoyaktuk, and the faces of those who are afraid of losing their jobs.
Let’s be brave now. Let’s have the conversation. Let’s pray for each other as we prepare for convention. Let’s pray that God will help us use the gifts God has given us.
Rev. Susan Johnson
ELCIC National Bishop
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