Commemorating Laudato Si

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Shortly before the fifth anniversary of the publication of Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home. Sister Joan Brown offered this embodied reflection for our Earth.

I heard someone speak recently about growth in compassion. Some reflections.
The more conscious and compassionate we become the more skillful and free we are to participate in energies moving around us and within us. These energies invite us into a participatory universe with unknown insights for transformation, justice, inclusion, and beauty. 
We are part of the natural world and the universe. The Sacred energies of Love woven throughout our Universe, our homes, neighborhoods, state, nation, creatures, trees and every stone call us to compassion. The energies of Love are expressions of the Holy One of many names and no names. If we are conscious of this flow of energy, we open ourselves to strength we do not know, creativity we have not dreamed, and a way forward that we could not imagine.
*Let a walk take you in this beautiful springtime.  
*Hold hands with your child, children or partner. If you are alone imagine that you are holding loved ones, four legged ones, people across the world. 
*Your grasp is one of conscious compassion sharing the vast energies of Love that desire expression through you. 
*Keep walking.
Peace and good,
Joan

How We Celebrated a Season of Creation

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We are blessed to be a large interfaith community of love in action in New Mexico. Every voice is important. As we are reminded as we enter into a Season of Creation,  we are all connected in our common home.  We joined the global community in a special month of  prayers, sermons, actions and gratitude and solidarity for caring for creation and communities and addressing climate realities.

We kicked off our campaign in New Mexico with a reflection from Emily Syal, young adult advisor to the NMIPL board.  Our second reflection came from Linda Sepulveda, who works at the Santa Maria de la Vid Norbertine Abbey and leads a community outreach program to engage young people in media literacy.  The third reflection in the series was offered by Larry Rasmussen, an author, earth ethicist and lecturer. He recorded this video on the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah. Our fourth and final reflection came from The Rev. Canon Cornelia Eaton, Canon to the Ordinary for Ministry & Program Director of Hozhó Wellness Center for Women for The Episcopal Church in Navajoland.

An Invitation to Repentance and Conversion

Blessings everyone,
Spiritual traditions teach that if one part of the body suffers the whole body suffers. Our traditions also invite us, in unique ways, into repentance and conversion. The Buddhist concept of repentance  is instructive in this moment as we face our part individually and systemically in racism.
Buddhism invites a sincere process of self-reflection, diligent self discipline, remorse and a radical change in future actions. Christian traditions invite a similar process called conversion and Jewish tradition speaks of teshevah.
As we soul search and engage on deep levels facing racism individually and systemically the invitations to transformation are filled with grace to do this hard and long work. And we must be creative in the journey and we must sing….https://amidonchoralmusic.com/product/im-gonna-lift-my-sister-up/.
Systems of racism and injustice underlie many of our struggles for justice, including climate justice. New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light supports the Movement for Black Lives and their demands for justice, as well as efforts to move out of a colonial past that causes injustice to our Indigenous brothers and sisters in New Mexico and beyond.
We invite our faith leaders, communities and all who are part of the NM IPL community around the state to pray, meditate, reflect, read, converse, learn, change, and act into a new way forward.
Peace and good,
Worker Bees: Sr. Joan Brown, Carlos Navaro, Clara Sims 
Board Members: Stephen Picha (Catholic); Tom Stark (Unitarian); Judy Smith (Jewish); Charlotte Smith (Bahai); Necip Orhan (Muslim); Ruth Striegel (UCC); Arcie Chapa (Catholic); Terry Sloan (Navajo, Hopi, Catholic); Todd Wynnward (Mennonite)
Advisors: Sr. Rose Marie Cecchini; Larry Rasmussen; and Rev. Anita Amstutz

Other Resources:

Statement fromIPL president and board of directors in response to the killing of George Floyd here.

Statements from IPL affiliates around the country.

Essayin Global Sisters Report (Sister Joan Brown)

Prayer Service sponsored by Archidiocese of Santa Fe, held on Wednesday evening June 3   Read Statement from Archbishop John Wester

A #FaithClimateJusticeVoter in 2021 and Beyond

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Even though the Nov. 3 election has come and gone, our commitment to engage in the public arena as #faithclimatejusticevoters is as strong as ever.

This commitment motivated our vote in the recent election, not only on matters related directly to protecting the environment and addressing climate change but also on other justice-related issues connected to climate policy.

“As people of faith across the country, we believe the 2020 election is a referendum on the values that will shape our future,” said the Democracy, Values & the 2020 Election guide released by Interfaith Power & Light and Faith in Public Life earlier this year.  “How can we renew our fragile democracy? How do we honor the human dignity of every person? Will we protect God’s creation for future generations? What policies will prioritize the common good and confront global pandemics that remind us of our interdependence? These questions require a societal examination of conscience.”

Some polls show the public sentiment leading into the election favored actions to reverse climate change and protect our earth. Here is a summary of an public opinion survey released by IPL in October.

IPL and our partners released a new poll that finds American voters of faith, including evangelical and mainline Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, and religiously unaffiliated voters, overwhelmingly believe climate change is happening and are worried about it. The poll from Climate Nexus, Yale University Program on Climate Change Communication, and George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication also finds more than seven in 10 (72%) voters support increasing federal funding to protect vulnerable communities from the impacts of extreme weather as part of the COVID-19 recovery.   Read full article

Another poll conducted by the respected Pew Research Center  offered a similar result.

Opinions are mixed on what impact the recent election will have on our environmental efforts. Here are reports from The Guardian, Axios and The National Catholic Reporter.

So as we look forward to elections in 2021 and beyond,  we reaffirm our commitment to remain #faithclimatejusticevoters