A Different Sort of Declaration of Independence
A Declaration of Independence (From Oil and Overconsumption)
Rev. Reebee Girash
Pleasant Street Congregational Church, UCC
July 4, 2010
Text: Luke 10:1-20
1After this the Lord appointed seventy a others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. 2 He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace to this house!’ 6 And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; 9 cure the sick who are there, and say to them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ b 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11 “Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’ c 12 I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town. 13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But at the judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades. 16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.” 17 The seventy d returned with joy, saying, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!” 18 He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. 19 See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Prayer
Sermon
“Today is the Fourth of July, and today is the Lord’s Day.” Thus begins Tom Long’s sermon on this occasion, and on this text. Preacher Long goes on to point out that the seventy disciples sent out to minister to diverse communities symbolize the seventy known nations of the earth mentioned in Genesis 10: Jesus intends to be present to all humanity and sends forth his followers to minister to all “to respect no division of race or clan.” (Journal for Preachers, Pentecost Season 2004) Our faith as Christians, should put our allegiance to Christ before our allegiance to a national government.
Tom Long goes on to make the point that the mandate of a national government (according to some recent US leaders) is defense and safety. On the other hand, Jesus sends his seventy out into strange places, foreign lands even, and tells them, “Whatever house you enter, first say, Peace to this house.”
The commission Jesus offers in our gospel text, is to send forth seventy people to build up God’s realm of peace and justice. To tear down boundaries. To bring good news, healing, and peace to the world.
–
Leading up to this secular Independence Day, I have spent some time thinking about the difference faith might make to matters of secular concern.
President Obama made his first speech to the nation from the Oval Office, in response to the devastating oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. He spoke of BP and the federal government taking responsibility for the repair and restoration of the gulf. Pundits on both sides of the aisle offered their own responses…where he went too far, where he did not go far enough. But almost no one in the political spectrum has spoken of our responsibility – the responsibility of individual citizens in this country and around the world. We may not bear responsibility for the oil spill itself, but we bear responsibility for the need of oil companies to be drilling through bedrock on the ocean floor to fulfill our overconsumption of oil.
Jim Antal, Minister and President of our state conference, believes this season is crucial. A moment when we receive a dramatic wake up call. A moment when we might actually change the way the people of our world view this crisis. He writes:
I believe we have now reached a kairos moment. Here’s what I mean:
• Just when we’ve already extracted from the earth all the oil that’s easy to get;
• Just when science has advanced enough to tell us that burning coal and oil for the past 160
years is already jeopardizing life as we know it — and that this is getting much, much worse;
• Just when 192 countries gathered in Copenhagen demonstrate that the wealthiest countries
(who are also the biggest energy users and polluters) are not yet prepared to enter into
binding international agreements;
• Just when the most powerful and most significant polluting country in the world has sufficient
political leadership to take significant legislative steps to create laws that offer life to future
generations;
• Just when our world-wide communications allows people all over the world:
• to witness this gusher of oil; and
• to see how the polar ice caps have 1/3 less ice on them than they did when the Apollo
astronauts took the first “whole earth” photos;3
• Just when technology is sufficiently advanced to offer all the solutions the world needs to live
and flourish using only renewable energy;4
At just this moment, humanity is granted the opportunity we now face – what Bill McKibben
calls “the ultimate teachable moment.”5
(http://www.macucc.org/211AM/antal-address-2010.pdf)
How will we, as individuals, as a society, as a nation, as a world, respond to this moment? How will we bring peace to this world?
On Independence Day, this is my declaration.
When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for a person, a nation and a world, to alter its course toward environmental destruction, it is required that we declare not only what governments and corporations must do to alter this course, but also what we as individuals must do.
I hold these truths to be self-evident:
That all people are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness, and a safe environment in which to live.
That all animals and plants are created by God and that God delights in them.
That God calls people to steward the earth, for the glory of God and the benefit of all people and living things.
That there is an imbalance among people – in terms of who has access to, and uses the resources of this planet, and that imbalance is unjust.
That whenever people overuse or abuse our natural resources, all living things suffer.
That God’s word is always a word of justice, a word of grace, a word of love, and that word gives me hope.
That it is not only governments and corporations that bear responsibility to care for God’s world, but all people. I am responsible for my actions, and for their impact on creation. I am responsible also for my inactions.
That people with power, by virtue of increased wealth and access to resources, have greater responsibility to justly steward creation. I, as a person of relative wealth, have great responsibility to justly steward creation.
When a long train of abuses, obliviousness apathy, ignorance and overconsumption lead to acute environmental catastrophes such as the Gulf oil spill, the unprecedented flooding of the Cumberland River, and all-time heat records through the Middle East and Asia (both of which Bill McKibben of 350.org attributes to climate change), and to the mounting catastrophe of global warming, it is my right, my duty, my obligation, to declare my intent to be independent from Oil, reduce my overall energy consumption, and to be a better steward of creation. I will demand that my legislators take action on my behalf, I will demand that corporations be environmentally responsible. But I will also look inward. I will not look to economic incentives to change behaviors, not look to foreign governments and corporations to do their part, and I will not wait for scientists to develop remedies – “safer” ways of drilling; ways to reverse global warming.
I declare that I will change how I consume the resources of our planet.
I declare that I will repent from overconsumption.
I declare that I will sacrifice for the sake of my children, and your children, and the children of this planet, and the next seven generations of children.
I declare my intent to become independent from oil.
I declare that I will put a photo of an oil-soaked pelican next to my car’s ignition, and make sacrifices so my own use of gas will not contribute to the need for another deepwater drill.
I declare that I will check the temperature in Myanmar before deciding to turn on my own air conditioner.
I declare that I will take the time and energy to dry my clothes on the line outside when I can…and especially when I hear of unprecedented flooding.
I declare that I will shift my food consumption local, sustainable sources.
I declare that I will (actually we have) changed every lightbulb in our home to a CFL, and will switch our electricity source to a renewable provider (ask me how you can, too) while also lobbying for increased wind, solar, hydro power.
I declare that I am not, nor will ever be, perfect, but that I will try harder than I have in the past.
I do therefore solemly publish and declare that I ought to and will make sacrifices to be a better steward of God’s holy creation.
And for the support of this Declaration, I have a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, the hope of grace and redemption, and the belief that it is not too late.
Amen.