Ecological Spirituality Articles
#5.Spirituality Gives Joy, Peace, and Love
“Do you know that joy and peace come from when we spiritually care for and love others besides ourselves? Our greatest joys are when we help people, and by doing so, we help ourselves. One definition of spirituality is: “a process of making the mind face our fears, worries, and non-stop thinking, and experiencing inner peace and bliss in one’s everyday life”. Spirituality is about making peace with the universe, and accepting facts as they are and trying to live in harmony. Great examples of spirituality are Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Dalai Lama, and Nelson Mandela.
#4.Spirituality
Did you know spirituality involves the recognition or feeling or belief that there is something greater than yourself, something more to being human than a sensory experience? Dr. Maya Spencer from the Royal College of Psychiatrists goes on to say, “Our lives have significance in a context beyond a mundane everyday existence at the level of biological needs, and knowing that we are a significant part of a purposeful unfolding of life in our universe.”
#3.U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Address Care for Creation
Did you know the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development sent a letter to Congress on Budget Reconciliation and Climate Change on June 8, 2022, supporting $555 billion in climate investments, $320 billion in clean- energy tax credits, $20 billion in agricultural-conservation investments, and $105 billion investments in resilience, such as wildfire-mitigation projects and forest preservation? The USCCB also encouraged people of faith to take action, and contact elected representatives to express their concerns and opinions on upcoming legislation. Such investments are needed to meet the Paris Agreement goals to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2030. Jose Aguto, Executive Director of Catholic Climate Covenant says, “such actions will be a civilizational game-changer.”
#2.Species of Greatest Conservation Need
Did you know Indiana has a list of 157 endangered and special-concern wildlife species (Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife, November 2020)? To address these species, a State Wildlife Action Plan was created that “provides an overview of conservation threats in Indiana and identifies needed actions.” Did you know loss of habitat is the No. 1 cause for loss of species? For example, in the Amazon, the world’s largest reservoir of biodiversity, two-thirds of the species have lost habitat to fire and deforestation (Georgina Gustin, 9/1/2021, Inside Climate News).
#1.A ‘Jubilee for the Earth’
Did you know that in 2015, Pope Francis published an encyclical On Care for Our Common Home “Laudato Si’?” An encyclical is one of the highest forms of communication by a pope and usually deals with some aspect of Catholic teaching. “Laudato Si’” is an appeal for “every person living on this planet” to enter into dialogue with him on the future of our Mother Earth.