The Advent/Christmas season begins with the Gospel forecasting an apocalyptic event. It uses symbolic language to convey its seriousness: “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay.” Jesus describes a climate of distress apparent socially and personally (he’s facing his own suffering and death) but concludes the message by opening listeners to re-birth. He’s encouraging listeners of every season not to be diverted or deceived by purveyors of a deadly climate and to be instead creators of a life-giving climate.
This era’s purveyors of a deadly climate are operating across the culture. They’re operating in politics (empire), the finances (capitalism) and religion (Armageddon, Crusades). They continue to plan for and produce a deadly climate but believe it will conclude in a narrow plan for their own rebirth (victory, plunder, rapture). In doing so, these purveyors of death hinder the rest of humanity from creating a life-giving climate. This is especially sad for the planet and the people who are suffering and dying around us. Members of the oil industry epitomize those who produce a deadly climate. This was confirmed by studies released this past week from the Proceedings for the National Academy of Sciences. The studies show that between 1993 and 2013 ExxonMobil, Koch Family Foundations, and 164 other organizations, all of which are tied to the oil industry, knew the harmful effects of their industry on climate change. They knew the suffering and death their industry inflicted on life and they knowingly coordinated a climate disinformation campaign to deceive people about it. The deception was devised from within the industry’s own think tanks (American Enterprise Institute, Cato Institute, Heritage Foundation,…). The deception was disseminated through the mainstream media owned and/or operated by the same oil companies. The deception became the fraudulent basis of two decades of deadly policies legislated by politicians also owned and/or operated by those same oil companies. The worst example is the invasion and occupation of an oil-rich nation, Iraq. It was done by oil industry executives, Bush, Cheney, Rice, and so many others. They have ensured that empire, capitalism, and crusades continue to spawn a deadly climate for people and the planet.
We cannot be ignorant of this present deadly climate, nor the people and places suffering because of it. Nor can we be ignorant of those whose narrow plunder plans spawn such a climate. We must know our calling is to be about creating a climate of life. It is therefore important to understand the compromised circumstance of an upcoming climate conference. People’s desire to create a life-giving climate is being compromised by the deadly oil industry operating within the coming United Nations Climate Change Summit. The COP 21 – 21st Conference of Parties – is being held in Paris beginning November 30 until December 11. 195 nations, associated persons, and various organizations, many of which are intertwined with the oil industry, will be proposing climate change agreements. Let us hold these companies and ourselves accountable to making life-giving changes.
Prayer: Spirit of Life, we commit our energy to life.
Question: What are my harmful climate behaviors I need to change and what harmful climate corporations do I need to help change?
November 29, 2015 Gospel Luke 21:25-28, 34-36 First Sunday Of Advent