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An Ecological Conversion: Called by God (and a Scientist) in the Cloud Forest

An Ecological Conversion: Called by God (and a Scientist) in the Cloud Forest

Last updated on: April 25, 2016 at 3:06 pm by Erin Wathen

An Ecological Conversion: Called by God (and a Scientist) in the Cloud Forest 2016-04-25T15:06:31-07:00 Erin Wathen

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Guest Post: by Scott Hardin-Nieri

Our family delighted in God’s creation as we served in Monteverde, Costa Rica as Global Ministries Volunteers. We met neighbors like Howler Monkeys, Three Wattle Bell Birds, Sloths and Toucans. We learned their names and recognized their voices and watched and listened to them with awe. There were human neighbors who also inspired us; like the cab drivers, hotel owners, tropical biologists, bakers, house keepers, coffee farmers, and teachers– from faith backgrounds as varied as Catholic, Quaker and Disciples of Christ.

From them, sad words would eventually be spoken:

▪Our water wells have dried up

▪The frogs aren’t around here anymore

▪Our forest orchids are dying

▪This is a cloud forest! where are the clouds?

by Haakon S. Krohn*

In Monteverde we heard about the negative impacts of a changing climate. Climate change in Monteverde is not a liberal, conservative, rich or poor issue; it is everybody’s issue. In Costa Rica our relationship to and dependence on nature, other people and God was deepened as we were entangled in the beauty of the cloudforest. In a new way, we had fallen in love with God with one another, and with the richness of creation in the cloud forest. Our renewed love and awareness created a sense of the urgency regarding our ecological time.

This urgency culminated at our denomination’s General Assembly during a brief visit to the U.S..

At this large gathering, I shared my concerns with anyone who would listen and searched for ways to address the global ecological crisis. Some people I talked with were generally supportive of my quest for an empowered church body to engage creation care and climate change in particular.

There were genuine conversations and dreaming, but many reactions were variations of the Sweet Southern backhand “bless your little heart.” It seemed like climate change –and therefore those creatures and people I loved in Costa Rica– were far down a long “to do” list for the church.

After our gathering, I returned to Central America filled with frustration and sadness. A sustainable planet needed leadership 30 years ago and I thought that the church was simply not up for the task especially while facing so many other challenges.

After almost 20 years, I decided that it was time to leave Christian ministry and to seek other venues to live out my faith by caring for God’s planet and people. I still loved God and sought to follow Christ, but I was angry and heartbroken. The church had raised me and my children, had been a source of so much life; and yet I believed it was sitting on the sideline during one of the greatest challenges humanity has ever faced.

I sought new mentors and teachers. I met with scientists, naturalists, and guides; business leaders and educators. I eventually met with Frank, who is a scientist and professor and has been studying and teaching sustainability for almost 30 years in Costa Rica. He is also a staunch atheist.

My goal in that meeting was to find a new course of study that would equip me to accompany God’s creation in a new way. Environmental Studies, Environmental Education, maybe Sustainability?

Frank and I danced with small talk for a bit, then I got down to it. I asked Frank which programs he recommended. “How do I live out these next 20 years or so, really making an impact for our world?” I asked.

He paused for a long time and looked at me.

“I have been studying these things for more than thirty years. The science about what you are seeing in our forests, oceans and climate is not new. We have known the problems for decades and the scientific communities even know many of the solutions. We have been talking about them, teaching about them, writing about them, screaming about them and people are not listening.

We don’t need more scientists.”

He leaned in over his mug of locally grown coffee, “Don’t leave the church. We need you, we need the church. Please help us from within your own community.”

Frank and God called me back to the church.

I began to look at the Church with fresh eyes. Slowly I began to see how faith communities were engaging in creation care and climate change action. I heard about church-installed roof top solar panels challenging climate change; church gardens challenging food deserts, creation care VBS, creation care book studies, climate action teams, vegetarian potlucks. One church did a “clothesline challenge” with dozens leaving their dryers lonely all summer long.

I found out about Blessed Tomorrow, empowering congregations to act on climate change; Interfaith Power and Light as well as a local interfaith nonprofit in Western North Carolina called the Creation Care Alliance; and my denomination’s growing Green Chalice network of churches working on creation care. Like so many denominations, the Disciples have a covenant regarding Earth care.

Where I had once decided that the church was irrelevant in the challenges we face, I began to see that faith communities hold the keys to us moving through this crisis. It turns out Frank is not the only person that believes faith communities are key to this movement.

“I used to think that top environmental problems were biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and climate change… I was wrong. The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed and apathy, and to deal with these we need a cultural and spiritual transformation. And we scientists don’t know how to do that.” – Gus Speth

Who is best equipped and empowered to accompany people during cultural and spiritual transformation? You guessed it. Faith Communities. Transformation is in our hymns, Holy Books and stories. In our bones, we are baptism-soaked in justice, liberation, good news, truth telling, hope, resurrection, and grace.

Any organization can do the work of conservation. Many groups of people can do mitigation (the slowing of climate change). The same is true for adaptation. These groups include Apple, Tesla, and even the the U.S. Military.

But compassion and transformation is our realm, and that is what is needed. We should collaborate with our sisters and brothers in the the worlds of government, business, technology, healthcare, nonprofits and education —but we cannot rely on them to act alone. Yes it is clear we need them, but they have been waiting on us. May we lead with the tenacity and compassion from within the church to bring about a better tomorrow. Blessings on your Earth Day.

Scott Hardin-Nieri is a story teller, tree climber and accompanier. Before arriving in the Appalachian Mountains Scott and his family served in the vulnerable cloud forest of Monteverde, Costa Rica. There he learned to how to climb Fig Strangler trees, spot Two-toed Sloths, distinguish the call of a Three-wattle Bell Bird from a Black Face Solitaire and listen to people and nature in a new way. Scott is an ordained pastor with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and serves as the Director of the Creation Care Alliance of Western North Carolina and Associate Minister of Green Chalice of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

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