Letter to the editor...

To the Editor:
Re: Our Synod Environment

Our Sunday Church School class was studying Ecclesiastes, and some were a bit sympathetic to Koheleth, the Teacher. Like Koheleth, one said, "Why do we do things that we will never see come to fruition?" And another, "What is the meaning/purpose of human existence?" The understanding that day, was that lack of understanding is no excuse for not faithfully following God's commandments. Ecclesiastes, it turns out, provided a great deal of material for theological thinking.

Environmental awareness is not new. Thirty-seven years ago, the first Earth Day was held to promote awareness of environmental issues. Over 20 million people participated in peaceful demonstrations at that first event. It is now observed each year by over 500 million people and national governments in 175 countries. It may be the largest secular holiday in the world.

Thirty-seven years later we are still seeking environmental reform. Now we know that what has been done, is not enough. The debate over our participation in greenhouse warming and our contribution to the degrading of our environment has to stop and action has to take its place.

In a synod like ours, where natural resources are fundamental to work and play in our every day life, we need to take a leadership stance not only nationally and globally through what has been done, but individually by cleaning up our environment through what we use, how we use it, and how we dispose of it. This may be the most fundamental issue we face.

We can't do everything, but we can do something!

We can green our individual environment —

We can stop using products that are not easily biodegradeable —

We can support efforts to clean up our surrounding environment —

We can vote for people who want to protect God's good creation —

We can support Living Waters for the World and other environmentally healthy efforts —

We can plant a tree.

The session of First Presbyterian Church USA, West Point, Mississippi and I have made a commitment to green our environment.. We planted a tree to honor elders Clark and Diane Young — environmentalists all their adult lives. We established the Clark and Diane Young Environmental Lectures in their honor which offers a platform to speakers on issues important to Clark and Diane, to us, and to our environment. For everything there is a season, and now is the time to do our part individually and collectively. We invite the churches of this Synod to join us.

Rita Cochrane,
Pastor
First Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
rita.cochrane@ecunet.org
604 E. Main Street,
West Point, MS 3977