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Divestment: Loving Creation and Each Other With Our Whole Selves

6/25/2016

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The author would like to note that the opinions expressed here are the author’s alone.
When I came to General Assembly, I’d already spent three years of my life working on divestment from fossil fuels. Fossil Free PCUSA was born in 2013, and in the last year we’ve worked with Presbyterians around country to organize 31 presbyteries to concur with the overture On PC(USA) Fossil Fuel Divestment(9-01). Nine moderators of past General Assemblies have also signed a letter in support of divestment.
A couple of months ago at the NEXT Church Conference, I ran into my friend Rob Fohr, a staff member for Mission Responsibility Through Investments (MRTI), the committee that was tasked with responding to the 221st General Assembly overture on divestment. Rob and I talked about how we wanted to make the conversation about divestment from fossil fuels a faithful and civil conversation. So Rob introduced me to Mike Cole, from New Covenant Presbytery. New Covenant Presbytery had put together three overtures that offered alternatives to divestment.
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If we make money from fossil fuel companies, it doesn’t matter if we put that money back into local food or hybrid cars or recycled paper—it’s money that comes from companies that burn fossil fuels and wreak havoc on the planet.
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Abby Mohaupt and Mike Cole
Photo: The Presbyterian Outlook
Mike and Rob and I (and several others) talked and worked together to prepare for General Assembly. And since we’ve been here, together (with Kerri Allen), we presented to the Young Adult Advisory Delegates. Together we prepared to talk to the Theological School Advisory Delegates. And Mike and I bought donuts for the whole committee 9 when we met with several committee members to talk about the overtures we supported.
It continues to be a gift to know each of these people, and I’m honored to call them my friends.
Later in Committee 9, I spoke as an overture advocate for 9-01, on behalf of 31 Presbyteries with almost 400,000 members saying:
As a teaching elder, I often talk with Presbyterians about how the authors of Genesis put forth our original vocation as human beings—to love creation—and that that love for creation is a response to God’s love for us. In the New Testament, Jesus reminds us that the greatest commandment is about love: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your being, and all your strength.” (Matthew 22, Common English Bible)
We have to love God and creation with our whole selves.
Climate change means we must change how we treat creation, with all our hearts, all our being, all our strength…and for us in the United States, a great symbol of that is our wallets.
Where we put our money defines us and has great power. That power is why it matters what we buy at the supermarket (buying organic and local food creates greater demand for more organic and local food), why it matters what kinds of cars we buy (buying less gas for a hybrid vehicle creates less demand for fossil fuels), and why it matters what products we fill our lives with (even changing to recycled toilet paper changes demand for paper!) Where we put our money shows where our hearts are.
And so it matters where we put our investments—how we make money is a symbol for who we are as people who follow Jesus, people who are called to love with our whole selves. If we make money from fossil fuel companies, it doesn’t matter if we put that money back into local food or hybrid cars or recycled paper—it’s money that comes from companies that burn fossil fuels and wreak havoc on the planet.
But again, it’s more than just about money. Money is symbol of where our hearts are….for where our treasure is, so are our hearts.
After other overture advocates presented, the committee deliberated for many hours. They wrestled with how to respond to the overtures, particularly paying attention to how to care for people working in the fossil fuel industry as well as for people who are already directly affected by climate change.
In the end, the committee voted to approveOverture 9-01 without amendments (the vote was 31-25). They then removed any mention of divestment from 9-02, 9-03, 9-04, overtures that together with 9-01 create an incredible package of overtures that call us to do everything we can to care for creation. Finally, the committee recommended that 9-01 be a response to the report from MRTI (9-09).
The committee will report to plenary on Friday afternoon.
Since the committee met, there was been a minority report filed.
Additionally, two former moderators, Rick Ufford-Chase and Susan Andrews—who have in the past been divided on issues of divestment—penned a pastoral letter to the 222nd General Assembly, saying that they had heard the voices of concern for people. In addition, the letter says:
This overture came to our Assembly with support from thirty-one Presbyteries and represents a grass-roots movement of Presbyterians across the country who place this concern at the heart of their faith. We must not shrink from the call God has given us to care for creation. Our action to divest sends a strong message to these companies that we cannot and will not ignore this threat any longer.
And…
Even as we act to divest from companies dedicated to fossil fuel extraction, we can and we must stand in solidarity with those who will feel the greatest burden. That is what it means to be the church of Jesus Christ. If we divest without a commitment to support one another, our action will fall short of God’s deepest desire for God’s people. But if we seize this moment to live boldly and with love, our care for one another can strengthen the whole church even as our prophetic action can make a critical difference in the global effort to stop climate change.
Their letter reminds us that as we go into a plenary discussion about divestment from fossil fuels, we must care for creation—and each other—with our whole selves. God calls us to it.

Originally published at 
http://justiceunbound.org/carousel/divestment-loving-creation-and-each-other-with-our-whole-selves/

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Fossil Fuel Divestment: Strengthening Our Response to an Urgent Crisis

6/25/2016

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written with Colleen Earp

In the shadow of the Paris Accords, rising global temperatures, and changing climates, we are thankful for the many voices discussing climate change in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). We recognize that our denomination has suffered and survived turmoil in the wake of the last General Assembly, which made the prophetic decisions both to support marriage equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people and to divest from several companies causing harm to Palestinians. We know that this work of the church has led to division and heartache, and we grieve with our denomination over brothers and sisters lost and estranged. So now, even as we approach another potentially contentious and divisive decision – whether or not to categorically divest from fossil fuel companies – we celebrate that the collection of overtures and reports related to environmental issues and specifically fossil fuels agree on number of points: that climate change is urgent and real, and that we as a church must find appropriate ways to respond.

In his recent Unbound article “Divesting from the Sins of Our Past”, Ben Perry analyzed the overtures concerning fossil fuel divestment and some alternatives thereof coming to 222nd General Assembly. Perry discussed the reality of climate change and the need for a “prophetic breakthrough”, which he (and we!) believes the PC(USA) might be poised to offer. Comparing the language and rationale of the different overtures addressing climate change, Perry gives careful attention to the moral message we can send by not only divesting from fossil fuels, but also addressing our own behaviors, particularly our personal consumption of fossil fuels.

He rightly ends with the sentiment that this conversation needs to be centered not on an attitude of “Should we do something?” but rather “What is it that we should we do?” This is not an either/or conversation. We as Presbyterian Christians, as citizens of Earth, need to respond to climate change in as many ways as possible, as soon as possible. The situation is simply that urgent. It requires us to do everything possible as quickly as possible to respond.

We believe that divestment needs to be part of that broad array of actions because it aligns our investments with our values, our treasure with our heart, 
to paraphrase Jesus. While divestment is often labeled as hypocritical (how can we truly divest from fossil fuels if we still drive a car?), it is far from that. Divestment is not hypocritical when paired with other practical actions to reduce our carbon footprint and mitigate climate change, to the best of our abilities. It is a chance to add to our denomination’s long history of environmental justice, which includes education on environmental issues (the work of our brains), policies on carbon neutrality (the work of our policies), earth care congregations (the work of our hands), liturgy (the work of our souls), and shareholder advocacy (the work of our voices, and of our treasures). Together, we are able to love creation with our hearts, all our minds, and all our strength, just as we are called to love God (Mark 12:30). Divestment from fossil fuels is a critical opportunity to be bold about our morals as stewards of God’s creation.

Fossil fuel divestment is certainly not the sole solution to climate change, and on its own, it will not make fossil fuel companies stop their business model that relies on wrecking creation. Divesting from fossil fuels is not a statement against those who have worked in the oil, gas, and coal industries. Their contributions to progress and development are undeniable. Nor is it a moral reprimand against the people who have worked as laborers in the industry. However, we cannot ignore what we now know: that these energy sources have caused harm to land, water, air, and living things. Job availability in these sectors of the energy industry have been volatile for some time, in large part because of worldwide conflict and rapid changes in prices due to subsidies, inflation, or availability at different times. Fossil fuel divestment makes a statement that we are dissatisfied with our dependency on these industries, unhappy with industry leaders in their slow response to climate change, and wish to seek an alternative. Our divestment from fossil fuel companies allows us to put our money where our hearts are. It means we will not profit from the destruction of the planet and from our failure to love creation as we are called to, as the Presbyterian Church has affirmed again and again.

A brief aside about the science: we are well aware that the term climate change makes some people uneasy. However, even if we set aside the lingo, it is difficult to deny that weather patterns are different than they were not too long ago. Places that relied on consistent climate patterns of regular, seasonal rainfall, dry spells, or moderate temperatures are now experiencing extended drought (California, India), sudden floods (South Carolina, France, Malawi), and unseasonable spikes in temperature, both high and low (which Colleen personally noticed as she tried to plant her garden in Virginia, where a late frost and early heat wave came within the same stretch of weeks that saw one of the wettest springs on record there). Weather today is more severe and less consistent.

We mentioned above that we celebrate the points of agreement that the majority of Presbyterians have reached in in our conversation surrounding climate change and fossil fuels, particularly that human-caused climate change is real, that the situation is urgent, and that we are called to respond. Even for those who find themselves still debating the veracity or cause of climate change, the environmental damages caused by the fossil fuel industry are real and measurable. Excavation for pipelines and drilling equipment has eroded wetlands. Mining for coal has forever changed the shape of the mountains of Appalachia. Fracking has polluted groundwater sources and lead to unusual geologic activity. Leaks and spills are inevitable. Waste products have to go somewhere.

The situation is urgent, and we as a church need to do all we can to preach, teach, and practice good stewardship of God’s creation. The results of climate change promise to be devastating. Public health, economy and jobs, food sovereignty, global peace and security—these will only continue to deteriorate as natural disasters increase and we struggle for the flourishing of all life on this planet.
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As we look to General Assembly, we see with eyes of hope. Hope that our denomination will respond to climate change with the urgency needed. Hope that our denomination will repent of the damage we’ve done as individuals and as a community of faith in our reliance on fossil fuels. Hope that our denomination will do everything it can to stand in favor of caring for God’s creation—because it will take everything.

Originally published at http://justiceunbound.org/carousel/fossil-fuel-divestment-strengthening-our-response-to-an-urgent-crisis/

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Where Our Hearts Are

6/25/2016

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For me, divestment from fossil fuels has never just been about money.

It’s about living into our God-given vocation to be ourselves.

As a teaching elder, I often talk with Presbyterians about how the authors of Genesis put forth our original vocation as human beings—to love creation—and that that love for creation is a response to God’s love for us. In the New Testament, Jesus reminds us that the greatest commandment is about love: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your being, and all your strength.” (Jesus quotes the Torah, Deuternomy 6:5, Common English Bible)

We have to love God and creation with our whole selves.

I remember when I first fell in love with creation as a child in Northern Illinois and when I first had emotional reactions to the devastation of climate change in Northern California. I remember when I first realized that the destruction is so bad, that we must do and change everything or everything will be lost.

We must change how we treat creation, with all our hearts, all our being, all our strength… and for us in the United States, a great symbol of that is our wallets.

Where we put our money defines us and has great power. That power is why it matters what we buy at the supermarket (buying organic and local food creates greater demand for more organic and local food), why it matters what kinds of cars we buy (buying less gas for a hybrid vehicle creates less demand for fossil fuels), and why it matters what products we fill our lives with (even changing to recycled toilet paper changes demand for paper!) Where we put our money shows where our hearts are.

And so it matters where we put our investments—how we make money is a symbol for who we are as people who follow Jesus, people who are called love with our whole selves. If we make money from fossil fuel companies, it doesn’t matter if we put that money back into local food or hybrid cars or recycled paper—it’s money that comes from companies that burn fossil fuels and wreak havoc on the planet.

But again, it’s more than just about money. Money is symbol of where our hearts are.

We’ve forgotten our hearts and being and strength as people of faith—we’ve forgotten that we do have power to make change and to protect the earth. We have to change everything—we have to do everything—as individuals and as a denomination—to change the world we’re called to love.

With courage and God’s grace, we may still have a chance.

Originally published on http://www.fossilfreepcusablog.org/blog/where-our-hearts-are
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    Responding to the climate crisis is an act of faith. If we are to survive, as humans and as Christians, that act of faith is necessary. What the story of the rich man coming to Jesus reminds us is that it is not enough to know the law or to know that we are called by faith to care for creation and for each other. We must act in love and in faith — even when that act feels like a sacrifice.

    Now is our moment—now is our time to give up the things that we people of wealth think we must have in order for all people, especially people without wealth, to have things that they really must have (arable land, breathable air, drinkable water). Our choices affect others because we are connected on this beautiful creation, planted here by our Loving Creator.


    originally posted at Unbound.
    


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