Quote of the day: In his caring for creation encyclical, Pope Francis suggests that “We have only one heart, and the same wretchedness which leads us to mistreat an animal will not be long in showing itself in our relationship with other people.”
Commentary: It has struck me as both ironic and sad that the Laudato Si encyclical fell on deaf ears both among some Catholics and even some Franciscans, as if one more prophet was not welcomed in his own proverbial homeland. I heard agnostics and atheists appreciate the caring for creation prophet more than some in his own institutions. Was it because they thought they had social justice down pat, but didn’t connect with his concerns about climate change, or vice-versa? Pope Francis made us uncomfortable because he did not privilege environmental justice over social justice work, and vice-versa. No dualistic thinking from this guy, nor from his hero, St. Francis of Assisi!
Suggested Action #26: As you walk out into the day, reflect on how you have often put the environment in one silo and social concerns in another. What can you do to tear down such silos and see the world afresh?
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Gary Paul Nabhan aka Brother Coyote is a professed member of the Ecumenical Order of Franciscans, a graduate of the Living School, a conservation biologist, orchard-keeper and story-teller.
