Walk or Bike to Church on 10.10.10

Walk or Bike to Church on October 10

The Minnesota Episcopal Environmental Stewardship Commission and Michael Schut of the Episcopal Church Office for Environmental/Economic Affairs have invited us to participate in the International Global
Work Party on 10/10/10. Schut writes, “This will be a great party around the world. We can all do our part.
By working together, we can send a message to world leaders that they need to get to work as well.”

Walking or biking to church when possible is a simple step we can take to reduce our carbon dioxide emission and enjoy God’s glorious creation at the same time. I hope it will also remind us that we could walk or bicycle to many of the places we visit regularly around town.

Bikes have come a long way in the last 20 years. Many are quite comfortable for casual riders, with upright postures, cushy seats, and wide gear ranges that shift easily and precisely. You can even get an electric assist up the hill or a grown-up tricycle. I’m sounding like a sales person, but if you ever enjoyed riding and still have a 20-(or more)-year-old bike, you really need to see what is available today.

Why would Christians care about the natural environment? There are a multitude of reasons in our scriptures and our theological traditions, but since we are coming up on the Feast of Saint Francis (October 4) and the Blessing of the Animals (October 9) let’s look at the one Francis inspired.

Francis of Assisi accorded the same respect to other creatures that one ordinarily grants to people. He gave them the honor of being treated as subjects in their own right, with their own purposes and desires independent of human beings. He also considered them worthy of the same salvation God extended to humanity. Francis related to the natural world in the way we need to relate to it today. He spoke of the birds and other creatures as brothers and sisters—as other beings worthy in their own right under God. They were entitled to care and love by virtue of their being.

Walking or biking alone will not be enough to mitigate climate change. We’ll need a coordinated host of actions at individual, organizational, and government levels. But they are on point, because transportation and electricity are the two biggest sources of CO2 emissions. I think of these simple acts as sacraments that remind us of our intention and our call to serve God and care for creation.

When you get home from your walk to church on the 10th, I invite you to follow up by doing something around your house that will lighten your impact on the environment there. Perhaps there’s a gap that needs sealing, or a good place to try out one of the new LED (light emitting diode) bulbs that are many times more efficient and long lasting even than the compact fluorescent ones we’ve been installing lately. If you need more ideas, you can look at the lists from the Green Congregations Program at www.TomHarries.net.