Laudato Si’ in the Midst of the
Day
by Sue Smith
June 18, 2015 was a date marked on the calendars of many in the
environmental movement, particularly those who do this work from a perspective
of faith. Pope Francis was releasing his encyclical, Laudato Si’ (Praise Be!) on Care for our Common Home. I
fully expected to wake up and see the release as one of the lead stories on the
morning news shows. Instead I woke up to news reporting on the aftermath of the
racist terrorist attack in Charleston, SC. Nine people died, nine images of
God.
When I agreed to write something about the encyclical, I
anticipated writing about key points in the document: climate change and
environmental justice are moral issues; protecting creation and protecting
people who are poor are interconnected virtues; we are part of creation and kin
to it, greed is the greatest threat – to the poor and to the earth itself; the
time to act on climate change is now. All of these points are present and well
supported. Francis is blunt about what we are doing to our environment, “The earth,
our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth.”
(21) But I was now reading the document through the lens of what happened in
Charleston. This document speaks to that situation as well.
Francis writes about the interconnectedness of all creation, and
reminds us that the Genesis creation narratives “suggest that human life is
grounded in three fundamental and closely intertwined relationships: with God,
with our neighbor and with the earth itself.” (66)* We have to be right with
each other as well as with the earth. But we are not; when we locate toxic
waste dumps, we harm the earth in that place, and we intimate that we do not
value the lives of the people who live there as much as we value other lives.
Francis writes that “A sense of deep communion with the rest of nature cannot
be real if our hearts lack tenderness, compassion and concern for our fellow
human beings…Concern for the environment thus needs to be joined to a sincere
love for our fellow human beings and an unwavering commitment to resolving the
problems of society.” (91)
Some may find parts of the encyclical difficult to read. The
language about God is very patriarchal, and in places, the language is male
dominant. The encyclical talks a good deal about those with power and privilege
not wanting to give up their behaviors, and how that negatively affects others.
For me, this use of male dominant language is an example of those with power
and privilege (in this case the authors of this encyclical) not understanding
how their language is heard by the other (those of us who believe we also are
in the image of God, but can never be patriarchs). Yet it is still a critically
important document. Pope Francis has invited everyone into a dialog on the
pressing ecological issues facing humanity. He has moved the climate
conversation forward and emphasized that our response needs to be a moral
response. He calls for us to act now.
Francis asks a question: “What would induce anyone, at this
stage, to hold on to power only to be remembered for their inability to take
action when it was urgent and necessary to do so?” (57). It is a question we
can ask about work on issues of race, gender, class and the environment.
Praise be!
Sue Smith
A prayer for our earth from Laudato Si’
All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe and in
the smallest of your creatures. You embrace with your tenderness all that
exists. Pour out upon us the power of your love, that we may protect life and
beauty. Fill us with peace, that we may live as brothers and sisters, harming
no one. O God of the poor, help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of
this earth, so precious in your eyes. Bring healing to our lives, that we may
protect the world and not prey on it, that we may sow beauty, not pollution and
destruction. Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain at the expense of
the poor and the earth. Teach us to discover the worth of each thing, to be
filled with awe and contemplation, to recognize that we are profoundly united
with every creature as we journey towards your infinite light. We thank you for
being with us each day. Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle for justice,
love and peace.
*numbers
refer to paragraphs in the encyclical
Sue
Smith is PEC Treasurer, member of the First Presbyterian Church of Rumson (NJ),
GreenFaith Fellow, and recent M. Div. graduate of New Brunswick Theological
Seminary.
