An evangelical Christian, a long haired Hippie, an organic farmer, and a mother of three walk into a city council meeting…
Sounds like it could be a good one, right? But it’s no joke. Instead, it’s a vision of what sustainability groups in Tulsa, Oklahoma hope will be the future of the city’s environmental and sustainable living movement: a coming together of groups not known for sharing common ideals.
Sustainability’s longstanding association with leftist politics has left a sour taste in the mouths of many Conservatives. In the Bible Belt, the challenge to becoming green is making environmental concerns post-partisan and inclusive—and free of any tie-dye stereotypes.
“The phase we are in right now is awareness: deciding whether or not you’re interested,” says Corey Williams, founder of the Tulsa chapter of the Oklahoma Sustainability Network. “We’re really trying to take liberal out of the conversation. Green was considered exclusively radical, and in the last few years it has flipped around. Now it’s inclusive.”
According to Tom McCloud, owner and publisher of Community Spirit Magazine, an interdenominational Christian publication based in Tulsa, the longstanding association with leftist politics alienates many who consider themselves tried and true Christians. “Some people are scared of the big L word,” he says, referring to the word "liberal."
McCloud estimates that 75 to 80 percent of Tulsa ’s population is made up of church-goers.
“We’re a mix of mostly Evangelicals along with Baptists and a few Charismatics,” says McCloud. “Environmentalism has not been associated with Christianity in the past; now it’s changing. Green issues have fallen into a liberal camp and because of the stances on other social issues, such as abortion, we’ve automatically fallen into a Christian right-Republican mode. In the past adopting environmental concerns would be akin to being a ‘wacky’ liberal.”
But that’s changing. Christian groups are increasing their awareness of green issues. In a 2008 article on the national “greening of Christianity” trend, McCloud writes that although Christians are not exactly turning into tree-huggers, more and more people are adopting the role of “stewards” of the Earth. The magazine’s monthly circulation of 20,000 means that 20,000 people could notice that the issue was printed on 100% post-consumer waste paper with soy inks.
All of which bodes well for the acceptance of sustainable living by a more diverse group of communities.
“One of the aspects of the environmental movement that was off-putting for many Christians was the notion that the creations, i.e. trees, were being worshiped and not the creator,” said McCloud. To combat that perception, some Christians are favoring the term “creation care” or “stewardship” to define their concerns and subsequent actions toward the environment.
“Doesn’t it make sense to take care of God’s creation? If we love the creator, how can we be a part of destroying the creation?” says McCloud.
The key now, says Williams, is to develop a network to keep that momentum going.
“We’re at a great time to develop. All the stars are aligned for us now: the global media, our mayor, the collaborations we have going. Since we’re relatively new to the sustainability arena, we don’t have to undo mistakes. We can learn from other cities and possibly even do it better,” Williams says.
McCloud agrees. “We want clean air, clean water, greenery, and for our children to enjoy what we have. It’s our responsibility to ensure it stays that way. We really need to step up.”
Related Links:
1) http://www.communityspiritmagazine.com
Effie S. says:
Great article! It is so good to hear that people are putting aside their judgments and stereotypes to finally do what God has always called us to do - to be "stewards of the earth". Religious or not, we all want to see our world survive, and our children enjoy it, and if we don't come together there is no chance of it!
Cris Bisch says:
A Christian, a hippie, an organic gardener, a mother of two... she walked into a city council meeting. That's me, all in one. I've been all three, and stood in council meetings to advocate for my community. When you think about it, people really have more in common than not. We just forget to recognize the common ground on which we can stand. I'm so glad to be living at a time when change is coming to America, in a way that opens the door of opportunity for conservatives and liberals, Christian and secular communities alike, to agree that it is all our responsibility to care for our natural world, and leave it in better shape than when we came into it, as a legacy for our children and future generations.
Whether we believe that the universe and all that it holds has an author/creator or we believe that the universe can only be explained by scientific theory... both require faith. Either way, the onus is on all of earth's sojourners to care for our planet, take responsibility to heal and protect our finite natural resources and the earth on which we dwell. Its an environmental responsibility we all must share, exploring together new ways to address and solve urgent climate change issues. Its going to take all of us.