Fairfield Friends Green Team
As a member of the newly formed Fairfield Friends Green Team, I recently attended a Multifaith Climate call where the current heatwave in Europe and the war in Ukraine were discussed. On the call were pastors and priests from around the globe, representing many faiths, United Methodists, Episcopalians, Unitarian Universalists, Church of England, Baháʼí, and 1 Quaker. I was intimidated, at first, to be on the call. There was excited talk of getting all our congregations to “ring-out” their church bells the Saturday before the November United Nations Climate Change Conference. I told them that we Quakers aren’t that much into bells, but our pianist has a bowl-gong that I’m sure he’d be happy to whack at the appropriate time. That elicited a few smiles and eyerolls about Quakers, and I felt more at ease.
Joking aside, it was gratifying to spend time with others to express our shared concerns about our world and the work we’re all doing. The work we’re doing at Fairfield is in the creation of our Green Team. The Green Team held its first meeting on July 16th. A small, but enthusiastic group of Friends met to discern ways to make our Meeting House and community more energy efficient, and to acknowledge that our Quaker values extend to all creation. As Quakers we acknowledge that we see that of God in everyone. Creation care calls us to extend that value to see that of God in all of creation. Our kinship with God’s creation connects us through the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the soil that grows our food.
During our meeting, Anita Camic gave an update on the pollinator garden project she started with the Garden Club. She and others are working to create much needed habitat for pollinators and a beautiful space, full of native plants, for future generations at Fairfield to enjoy.
At the end of the Climate call we were asked what gives us hope. I answered that our community at Fairfield and our Green Team are among the things that give me hope. Hope brings us together in the pursuit of a better world and sustains us when we feel despair.
If you are anxious about our future, I encourage you to join us on the Green Team and register for the below event, sponsored by our Friends at QEW.
Ecological Grief: Engaging with the Emotional Impacts of Climate Change
Our next meeting will be August 27th at 11AM via Zoom. If you are interested in joining us, please visit our website https://www.fairfieldfriends.org/green-team or reach out to me for the Zoom link.
Jeff
Upcoming Events: Fall Hike
Viewing Party for the Documentary film, 2040