Fall, 1997
EarthVision: Seeking Common Ground
by Paul Burks
The idea was simple-all really good ideas are. What would happen if you brought together people from two different groups who don't normally talk together or work together, but who share a deep love of the Earth and a common concern about the growing crisis of the planet?
EarthVision was the name of the event. The invitation from the Pacific Yearly Meeting Committee in Unity with Nature (PYMCUN) said simply: "We are inviting members of nature conservation and environmental organizations to meet with people whose witness for the earth is an essential component of their religious faith." On the weekend of June 6-8, some 50 people from Northern California's environmental and religious communities responded to the invitation.
Location was a key factor, so the Ben Lomond Quaker Center in the Santa Cruz mountains, with its majestic Redwoods was chosen. It's the kind of place John Muir had in mind when he wrote "The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness."
The planning committee for EarthVision, organized by PYMCUN, was clerked by Tom Farley and assisted by PaulBurks of EarthLight Magazine. Others in the planning process included Eric Sabelman and Sandy Farley (Palo Alto), eric joy (Grass Valley), Kurt de Boer (Berkeley) plus Barry Boulton (Loma Prieta Chapter, Sierra Club), Debbie Mytels (Peninsula Conservation Center), Leslee Hamilton (Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition), and Rick Coates (World Stewardship Institute). Bob Schutz (Redwood Forest), Susan Kleihauer (EarthLight staff), Warren Linney (World Stewardship Institute), Evan Ardley (Episcopal pastor), Sydney Brown (Interfaith Council on Economic and Environmental Justice), Elizabeth Jones (Santa Cruz), and Peter Drekmeier (Bay Area Action) also played a key role in the conference program.
This wonderful team contributed to the success of EarthVision.Beyond attendees from environmental organizations and Friends Meetings, those participating from churches included Presbyterian, United Methodist, Evangelical Lutheran, United Church of Christ, Episcopal, and Unitarian. This mix contributed to he excitement, and future plans generated by EarthVision.
Readings from Mark Dowie's book Losing Ground challenged attenders. Dowie analyzed reasons for the decline of the mainstream environmental organizations (including the Sierra Club) and for the rise of what he calls Fourth Wave Environmentalism rapidly growing "new ecology" grassroots groups that include deep ecologists, bioregionalists, eco -feminists, spiritual ecologists, the environmental justice movement, and those shaped by Native American and indigenous peoples beliefs.
Following an hour of self-introductions on Friday night, Barry keynoted the weekend with illustrations of the evolutionary flows which must determine the relationship of humans to all other species, and the earth itself which must replace the incredible anthropocentrism of Western culture and global economics. He cited theologian Elizabeth Johnson who articulates the model of kinship with the earth going beyond stewardship models. "Humanity is not separated from the earth and placed in a position of dominion over all other creatures; we are one with the immensity of all that is."
He also highlighted the divisions which weaken common witness and action, through the powerful observations of University of California history professor Lynn White. In the 1960s, White charged: "Christianity bears a huge burden of guilt for our ecological crisis. The creation stories in Genesis, in absolute contrast to ancient paganism and Asia's religions, not only established a dualism of man and nature, but also insisted that it is God's will that man exploit nature for his proper ends." "By destroying pagan animism, Christianity made it possible to exploit nature in a mood of indifference to the feeling of natural objects."
Illustrations of how environmental groups and faith-based communities work together focused presentations on Saturday morning and afternoon. The session on Headwaters and Forest issues was led by staff of the World Stewardship Institute based in Santa Rosa. Environmental Justice issues were presented by staff from SVTC, Bay Area Action, and Sydney Brown's Interfaith Council on Economic and Environmental Justice.
But it was the process of dialogue in the small groups all weekend which truly marked the power of this gathering for all participants. Fears of stereotyping, defensiveness, distrust, or "religious types" faded as attenders really got to know one another and rejoiced in that sharing.
Enhancing the program were ritual events led by EarthLight staff Susan Kleihauer, including an opening invocation on Friday evening, movement meditations and a Redwood Walk Meditation. Perhaps the most moving time was the Saturday evening session on "What Inspires Us to Witness and Action?" All participants shared what moves us to care deeply about the earth, what moves us to action. The common spiritual root of environmental concern, in the midst of a growing environmental crisis, was very evident in the sharing around the circle.
During the closing 'where-from-here' session, it was strongly recommended to repeat this event locally and in other parts of the country. More specifically, Barry Boulton (Sierra Club) and Peter Drekmeier (BAA) proposed that persons from this conference shape a steering committee for 1998 Earth Day programs and activities throughout Northern California. Loma Prieta Sierra Club endorsed this idea and Bay Area Action named three board members to participate in this process. The EarthVision Conference urged that the 1998 Earth Day focus include sustainable life and work styles, the relationship of Earth and Spirit, Fourth Wave Environmentalism, and identification of the kind of communities we want and will work for.
Paul Burks is a member of SVTC Board of Directors, the Executive Committee of Sierra Club (Loma Prieta Chapter) and a United Methodist Minister. With his wife, Jean Barker, he is managing editor of EarthLight Magazine.
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