It wasn’t until 1985 that the General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association adopted a
resolution establishing a principal that spoke to more than just humans. The Association had spoken
about the worth and dignity of every person, a free and responsible search for truth and meaning, a goal of world community, etc. In 1985 they finally adopted a principal of, “Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part”.
I’m sure, knowing the UU community, that there were numerous proposals made regarding the actual words to be used, and am pleased that the words finally chosen speak of an interdependent web and say that we humans are just a part, not the masters of the environment.
We domesticated homo sapiens have become so domesticated that we often lose sight of our connection to the rest of nature. I’m sure that there are youngsters who have yet to learn that meat and potatoes come from someplace before the grocery store. We adults share this disconnect from the earth which sustains us, thinking that somehow technology will save us from the sins we inflict on the natural world.
Recently I was reminded of a pin I was once given with the words, “Earth Day Every Day”. Much like
the Scout promise to do a good deed every day, thinking about earth day every day sounds good but is seldom practiced. Even when given a pretty clear choice between what would be good for the earth, and what would be familiar or convenient, we almost always make the choice which most stresses the natural world rather than the one which protects the environment.
The disconnect has become so great, especially for children, that a recent book has been written titled, “How to Raise a Wild Child”. When I first heard the title my immediate response was that Wild Child comes naturally for most kids. But this book speaks about giving our children the joy of nature.
Currently the average North American child spends seven hour a day staring at a screen. Many children wouldn’t know what to do given an opportunity to engage in unstructured play. My generation had the joy of pickup games of baseball with the budding lawyers coming up with rules that none of the others felt obligated to observe. It has been found that exposure to nature can help reduce stress, depression and attention deficits. It can reduce bullying, combat obesity and boost academic scores. Think of the millions you could earn if you could invent a pill to accomplish the same set of benefits, but the only requirements to accomplish these goals are one or more kids and some nature.
While the majority of Americans are aware of the problems humans are causing, most of us don’t see ready answers. Sure we can recycle and reduce our driving, but continued population growth can easily negate these beneficial actions.
I’m convinced that the two actions which can make a lasting change are education about the issues, and empowerment of women, both in our own culture and across the globe. UU’s are proud that for the last 20 years at least half of all of our ministers are women while some religious traditions still refuse to welcome women as equals. I believe these are both moral choices for the betterment of all, and actions which will have a lasting effect. I believe we need to redouble our efforts to put into action the Christian teachings to love our neighbors and to love Mother Earth.