prayer for the earth
Posted by anja on 14 Oct 2008 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
I’ve always felt like my commitment to environmentally friendly ways came from a mixture of my science background, my finances, and my faith. Many ideas about the Christian faith hold that the Church has historically done nothing toward healing the earth. While there have been times of rampant environmental destruction in which Christians have participated, at least we can say that our faith has always encompassed care and concern for the earth. Here are excerpts from a current statement of many of the present-day leaders of the church:
. . .the contemporary witness of Orthodoxy for the ever-increasing problems of humanity and of the world becomes imperative, not only in order to point out their causes, but also in order to directly confront the tragic consequences that follow. The various nationalistic, ethnic, ideological and religious contrasts continuously nurture dangerous confusion, not only in regard to the unquestionable ontological unity of the human race, but also in regard to man’s relationship to sacred creation. The sacredness of the human person is constrained to partial claims for the “individual”, whereas his relationship toward the rest of sacred creation is subjected to his arbitrary use or abuse of it.
These divisions of the world introduce an unjust inequality in the participation of individuals, or even peoples in the goods of Creation; they deprive billions of people of basic goods and lead to the misery for the human person; they cause mass population migration, kindle nationalistic, religious and social discrimination and conflict, threatening traditional internal societal coherence. These consequences are still more abhorrent because they are inextricably linked with the destruction of the natural environment and the entire ecosystem.
Orthodox Christians share responsibility for the contemporary crisis of this planet with other people, whether they are people of faith or not, because they have tolerated and indiscriminately compromised on extreme human choices, without credibly challenging these choices with the word of faith. Therefore, they also have a major obligation to contribute to overcoming the divisions of the world.
The gap between rich and poor is growing dramatically due to the financial crisis, usually the result of manic profiteering by economic factors and corrupt financial activity, which, by lacking an anthropological dimension and sensitivity, does not ultimately serve the real needs of mankind. A viable economy is that which combines efficacy with justice and social solidarity.
The Orthodox Church believes that technological and economic progress should not lead to the destruction of the environment and the exhaustion of natural resources. Greed to satisfy material desires leads to the impoverishment of the human soul and the environment. We must not forget that the natural riches of the earth are not only man’s property, but primarily God’s creation: “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and all who dwell therein” (Ps.23:1). We ought to remember that not only today’s generation, but also future generations are entitled to have a right to the resources of nature, which the Creator has granted us.
“Glory be to him whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine, glory be to him in the Church and in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 3:20-21). Amen.
In the Phanar, 12th October 2008.
+ Bartholomew of Constantinople
+ Theodore of Alexandria
+ Ignatius of Antioch
+ Theophilos of Jerusalem
+ Alexey of Moscow
+ Amphilochios of Montenegro
(representing the Church of Serbia)
+ Laurentiu of Transylvania
(representing the Church of Romania)
+ Dometiyan of Vidin
(representing the Church of Bulgaria)
+ Gerasime of Zugdidi
(representing the Church of Georgia)
+ Chrysostomos of Cyprus
+ Ieronymos of Athens
+ Jeremiasz of Wrocіaw
(representing of the Church of Poland)
+ Anastasios of Tirana
+ Christopher of the Czech Lands and Slovakia
Amen.
has it’s own independent adjustable section of slats located under the area where most of each person’s weight will be distributed.
our bed frame has no midbeam, so wooden slats alone wouldn’t work. Initially, I thought I would want to install one of my own. But the prospect of watching our head board and foot board gradually come unglued during our slumber drove my search for another option. Our bed frame is designed for a box spring. The set of 
that I ordered provide support for the wooden slat bed bases by spanning from one side rail to the other, and come with adjustable posts supporting them at their midpoints. This is a major compromise on going with all wood support, and was not a green nor an inexpensive choice. Because I’m no engineer, I ordered another set offered by the same company that comes with a single truss, and a pair of Bedbridge Beams. That gives us four trusses with center posts and a pair of beams that have no posts. I’ve spaced them evenly, using the beams at the head and foot of the bed bases, and the trusses under the weight bearing portions of the bed bases. A new bed frame or the bed box that Shepherd’s Dream offers would have been greener options, but I was convinced I had a better idea. These are the sturdiest products I could find to go with the IKEA product, and I’m confident that they will support the bed bases for as long as they last.