In light of these statements, Easter celebrators might want to reflect on how the story of Easter relates to the environment.

Theologian Herman-Emiel Mertens writes,

“Those who do not understand the link between the Easter message and ecological problems, do not understand anything of either. Environmentalism in itself is of course no utterance of Easter faith. Many non-Christians are concerned about this. That is only right and proper. A monopolizing of these earthly cares by Christians is out of the question. There is environmentalism without Easter faith, but no Easter faith without environmentalism.” (Not the Cross, but the Crucified, 207)

Easter is, at its core, a very deep holiday about overcoming violence brought on by institutional structures. That is the power of Christ’s resurrection. The holiday is a display of active hope. It’s the enjoyment of a spring afternoon with family and friends in anticipation of a springlike renewal for the environment. Active hope is celebration that motivates creative action for a peaceful future.

What I like about Green Options Media is that every article written is a display of active hope. What we are seeing in the blogosphere is a celebration of creativity in the face of a challenging situation.

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Thanks to Dean A. Current, who has spent years developing methods for sustainable palm harvesting, churches now have a green option for buying palms.

Current is a research associate for University of Minnesota’s Department of Forest Resources. He has worked with Rainforest Alliance to prevent over-harvesting palms each year, make sure less palms are wasted, and give harvesters in Guatemala a fair wage for their efforts. Twenty-five percent of the program’s revenue goes right back into the communities where the palms are harvested.

These eco-palms will find their way to over 2000 congregations around the U.S. This represents less than 2% of the 35 to 40 million palms ordered annually, but the amount is increasing exponentially each year. The effort began with a pilot program of 5000 palms in 2005 and has increased to 600,000.

Not every congregation is crazy about the idea of eco-palms. They cost about twice as much and some people don’t think they’re as pretty as traditional palms. Fair enough, but how much will they cost after over-harvesting takes its toll? Is a slightly longer palm frond really worth putting a community’s livelihood at risk and threatening the health of the forest?

Current hopes more congregations will see the wisdom of using eco-palms on Palm Sunday.

More info:

Palm Sunday Gets Environmentally Friendly, The Minnesota Daily

Churches Go ‘Green’ for Palm Sunday, USA Today

More articles in the Green Lent series:

Spanish Literature and Religious Environmentalism: A Green Lent Update

What Does Lent Have to Do with Sharpening Green Habits?

Photo credit: Flickr, licensed for public and commercial use through Creative Commons.

Bartholomew first earned his reputation with the statement, “Crime against the natural world is a sin.” His grandest endeavor was inviting 200 scientists, journalists, and political leaders to hang out with him on a cruise ship. They traveled around the Adriatic Sea to observe the ecological degradation taking place. During the symposium, he persuaded Pope John Paul II to adopt his agenda.

This achievement symbolized what he has been able to do, bringing together the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, as well as the scientific and religious communities. Both of these pairs have found themselves in opposition to one another, but Bartholomew I describes his work as the “green bridge” uniting everyone, religious and non-religious. He has received a U.S Congressional Gold Medal and the Sophie Prize for his efforts.

There is a conciliar process to select Bartholomew I’s successor, much like the Roman Catholic Church’s selection of popes. The future of the office is uncertain right now, however, due to the dwindling number of Orthodox Christians in Turkey and restrictions that the Turkish government places on who can be Patriarch. There has been discussion of moving the office to another country, after nearly seventeen centuries in Constantinople. It will be interesting to see whether the next Ecumenical Patriarch, wherever he happens to be located, continues the green mission of his predecessor.

Bartholomew I was #1 in Grist’s “15 Green Religious Leaders” last July.

Photo credit: Flickr, licensed for public and commercial use through Creative Commons.

Marking the beginning of the Easter season, worshipers go to church on Ash Wednesday (often still recovering from Fat Tuesday) and get ash spread on their foreheads. The ash is a symbol of contrition and repentance. Then everyone is expected to give up meat and beer and act gloomy for the next 6 weeks. Sound like fun? No wonder Mardi Gras is so popular!

But when you think about it, a collective confession can be incredibly meaningful in light of our complicity in greenhouse gas emissions. The tradition of Lent has potential for inspiring action. In addition to repentance, the ritual of smearing carbon on faces can visually represent the carbon we are contributing in our daily lives. The following are some reformulations of the elements of Lent with a green focus. (These principles are intended to be helpful to people of any faith background or none at all.)

• Confession. You’ve been incredibly good this year. You’ve spent countless hours poring over the Green Options blogs. You’ve made many changes to your lifestyle. For the CO2 you are guilty of emitting, you have purchased carbon offsets. You’ve even worked on promoting public policy aimed at a greener tomorrow. It is OK to be proud of yourself for being well on your way to carbon neutrality. But it helps to participate in a rhythm, every now and then, once a year, looking at how far we need to go as a society. Now that green is mainstream, green-washing and half-a**ing our way to a warmer planet is a new concern. Even if I were carbon neutral, I am still throwing my sustainably earned dollar into a carbon-spewing economy. Small doses of intentional reflection and confession every now and then keep us grounded and healthy.
• Fasting. For those of us who don’t yet have a Nobel in our pockets, a certain amount of giving something up for a specified amount of time has a centering effect. By the way, if I ever get a Nobel Prize, I’m totally carrying it around in my pocket. Anyway, this practice provides clarity to see what we really need and don’t need. I learned how few luxuries I really need last summer/fall as I backpacked the entire Appalachian Trail for 4 ½ months, hiking from Maine to Georgia. I didn’t even take coffee because I didn’t want to carry anything unnecessary. Even when I don’t have to lug it around in a backpack, I still limit my coffee consumption. (Note: I’m certainly not a locavore fundamentalist. I adore all things tropical. I think Equal Exchange is a more than worthy alternative to abstinence!) Rather than thinking of it as austere self-denial to achieve some higher spiritual plane, I think of these “fasts” as temporary periods when I evaluate my consumptive habits. It helps me rediscover gratitude and happiness in non-material things. If you are a traditional Lent observer, you might think of going without meat as a way to reflect on the effects of factory farming on the environment. If you want to try something crazy, try going without corn—it’s more difficult than you think! The purpose is to go an extra step for a short period of time to foster a more mindful lifestyle year-round.
• Hope. Of course, the solemn and gloomy practice of observing Lent is tempered with the hope that Easter is coming, which offers the expectation that things will get better, and not just because on Easter we break our fasts. We’re working together toward better days ahead and believe that we can do it together. Ultimately, we’re envisioning a better future and then living into the vision. This yearly rhythm is a good way to stay sharp.
• More info: Christians Told: Give up Carbon for Lent

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