As predicted for the month of May, carbon dioxide levels as
measured at the Mauna Loa observatory have reached 400 parts per million for a
daily average. An article
from the New York Times yesterday reported the discouraged and discouraging
reaction of scientists to the news; they note our failure to reverse the upward
trend in these readings, the catastrophic results we face from
this dramatic change in our atmosphere, and the fact that the last time carbon
dioxide levels were this high on the earth, human beings were not yet here.
We know the reaction of the news media: there are some reports about crossing
the threshold, including statements from the scientists, but reporters are not giving
this the attention we usually give to national catastrophes or calamities. And
the reaction so far from the majority of our political leaders is silence.
The Episcopal Church just finished participating in a short
conference on “sustaining
hope in the face of climate change”.
Our leadership acknowledges the problem. I wonder how many parishes,
though, will include special prayers this Sunday after we have reached this
mark, how many preachers will feel a need to address this the way we have addressed
9/11 or mass murders or large scale natural disasters, how many people visiting
at coffee hour will talk about their feelings about this being the week we
reached a reading of 400 ppm.
The church has an opportunity to break the great silence of
the media and political leaders; the church has an opportunity to do what our
faith equips us to do best, to help people look at the reality of what is
happening and process its meaning and go out prepared to deal with this new
world with its new needs. The church can recognize this and name this for what
it is: a tragedy, a worldwide emergency, a shared grief.
When The Book of
Common Prayer was written in 1979, a small number of scientists were
beginning to get an idea of where we were headed with greenhouse gases and
climate change. Most of us knew nothing about any of this, though, and our prayer book
has no prayers or collects for reaching unthinkable thresholds of atmospheric
concentrations of carbon dioxide. We do, however, have many prayers for people
in need of healing and food and water, for the welfare of our nation and the
world, for our leaders, and for our own strength and courage and wisdom. We can
pray these in light of where we are now, mindful of new needs in the world and
old needs of human souls that got us where we are now and can also repent and
get us headed in a better direction. And
we have prayers such as these:
For
the Conservation of Natural Resources
Almighty God, in giving us dominion
over things on earth you made us fellow workers in your creation: Give us
wisdom and reverence so to use the resources of nature, that no one may suffer
from our abuse of them, and that generations yet to come may continue to praise
you for your bounty; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (p. 827)
For
the Future of the Human Race
O God, our heavenly Father, you
have blessed us and given us dominion over all the earth: Increase our
reverence before the mystery of life; and give us new insight into your
purposes for the human race, and new wisdom and determination in making
provision for its future in accordance with your will; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen. (p. 828)
And so that we might preach the truth and be mindful of our
priorities, remembering that nothing less than our own future and the future of
our children and grandchildren are at stake and that Christ gives us the
strength we need to do the work before us, we might pray for the church:
Gracious Father, we pray thy holy
Catholic Church. Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it
is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it
is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in want,
provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ
thy Son our Savior. Amen. (For the Church,
p. 816)
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