Bill McKibben FOH
Environmentalist and United Methodist layman Bill McKibben gave the keynote address via the internet for the online 2020 conference of The Festival of Homiletics, an event for preachers. (United Methodist Insight Screenshot)
A United Methodist Insight Column
Of all the United Methodists working worldwide for the environment, few garner more respect than Bill McKibben, college professor, author, activist and United Methodist layman, who sounded one of the earliest alarms of the climate crisis in his 1989 book, “The End of Nature.” This month, he announced that he is moving from active to emeritus status in the organization he founded, 350.org, in order to make room for the next generation of creation-care leaders.
His fellow United Methodists may not be aware, but during the three-plus decades of his environmental work, Bill has faced tremendous pressure from the fossil fuel industry, which has not only attacked him but also his family. Yet though discouragement surely must have overwhelmed him at times, like a true Christian he has never shrunk from the sacrifice demanded of him. He estimates he has been arrested "10 or 11" times for misdemeanors while demonstrating for sensible climate crisis policies. He has traveled around the world to meet and strategize with other environmentalists. Without question, his faithfulness to his calling as a steward of the Earth has laid a foundation for saving the planet.
In a letter announcing his move, Dr. McKibben summarizes both the history of the climate change movement and the next steps he sees for the future. I encourage everyone concerned with creation care to read his full letter on the 350.org website. Here are a few important excerpts:
“I’ve had a couple of goals. One was simply to make people understand that climate change represented a great existential threat, the largest challenge that our species has come up against. In the early days—the late 1980s and the 1990s—this was sometimes lonesome work, akin to one of those bad dreams where you can see a monster coming but can’t make anyone else pay attention. I think it’s possible I’ve written more words about the greenhouse effect/global warming/the climate crisis than anyone else in the English language, which is why it has been such a relief in recent years to see so many others taking up this work.
“The second goal was to weaken the power of the fossil fuel industry, because it became clear—even before the #ExxonKnew revelations of recent years–that that was the biggest obstacle to taking the science seriously.
“… We are moving to the next phase of this fight, which is where we should have been able to concentrate all along: the effort to overhaul our energy systems and otherwise transform our impact around the planet. Because the oil industry wasted three decades with their disinformation campaign, we must squeeze into ten years what should have happened over 40. … The battle is not just to swap out coal for sun; it’s to swap out a poisoned and unfair world for one that works for everyone, now and in the future.
“… Of course, no matter what we do now, we’ve waited too long to prevent truly massive trauma. Already we see firestorms without precedent, storms stronger than any on record, Arctic melt that’s occurring decades ahead of schedule. We’re losing whole ecosystems like coral reefs; we have heat waves so horrible that in places they take us to the limits of human survival. Given the momentum of climate change, even if we do everything right from this point on those effects will get much worse in the years ahead, and of course their impacts will be concentrated on those who have done the least to cause them, and are most vulnerable. That means there is another area we need to be working hard: building the kind of world that not only limits the rise in temperature, but also cushions the blow from that which is no longer avoidable. I’d like to have more time to help think through that part of the problem; we’re going to need human solidarity on an unparalleled level, and right now that seems a long ways away.”
It seems to me that one way to honor Bill McKibben’s years of service on behalf of God’s creation would be to meet his challenge to develop “human solidarity on an unparalleled level.” This task will take many forms, from advocating for the environment in local situations all the way up to advocacy for public policies to avert or temper the climate crisis. As followers of Christ, we begin always with a foundation of prayer for humility and strength; thereafter we root our actions in Jesus’ instructions to love God and our neighbor with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. Clearly Bill McKibben has been our exemplar in this regard, and we can honor him by following his example as we campaign for Earth’s future – and our own.
Free and fair elections
Speaking of public actions, the General Board of Church and Society has set up a new issue page, Free and Fair Elections for All . Says the announcement: “Learn more about what the UMC says, and how you can take action to protect the right to vote.” There’s also an immediate action, Support Free, Fair and Safe Elections for All. “In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring safe elections is even more urgent,” says the newsletter.
Media Mentions as of July 14, 2020
As depression, anxiety, grief spike during pandemic and protest, churches offer hope, mental health resources – Religion News Service
The Faith Of The Black Lives Matter Movement – Religion Unplugged
Why The Black Lives Matter Movement Is Controversial To Many Christians – Religion Unplugged
Churches As Superspreaders: Worship Connection To COVID-19 Making News – Religion Unplugged
‘Confess these sins’: White evangelical churches reflect on racism – The Christian Science Monitor*
As a black person, I’m done helping white Christians feel better about race – The Washington Post*
Why Black Christians are bracing for a 'whitelash' – CNN
*Paid subscription required.
Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011.