Within most faith traditions lies stewardship for creation. From Catholics to Buddhists, most agree that we must care for the Earth and that swift and bold action is necessary to ensure a livable planet for future generations.

Churches are greening their sanctuaries with energy-efficiency measures and renewable energy retrofits. Pope Francis has placed care for creation and its most vulnerable inhabitants at the center of his papacy. Individual congregations and national faith associations are divesting from fossil fuel companies. Faith leaders are actively protesting tar sands and the Keystone Pipeline.

On Valentine Day’s weekend, thousands of churches across the country will take part in the National Preach-In, a day when sermons and coffee-hour conversations will focus on love for creation, including how to transition away from dirty energy to clean energy and how to get Washington to listen. We will write letters in support of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Carbon Pollution Standards for New and Existing Power Plants.

I hope some will follow the lead of the First Universalist Church of Pittsfield, which took a leap of faith when it sold its shares of ExxonMobil and reinvested in fossil-fuel-free funds.

We must act in ways that will leave a better future for our children and our children’s children. Our faiths remind us we have a moral obligation to do so.

Join us Feb. 14-16 to see what the combined voices of our congregations can do. Go to www.Preachin.org for resources, Earth-justice sermons, and to sign up.

Holly ZadraPittsfield


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