Christ & St. Luke’s recently hosted our annual Jim Sell Community Conversation, a ministry dedicated to fostering respectful dialogue around difficult issues while promoting growth and change. The topic of this year’s conversation was environmental stewardship, particularly proper given that the Hampton Roads region faces the daily realities of climate change and sea level rise.
Read an opinion piece by The Rev. Noah Van Niel to coincide with this talk in published in the Viriginia Pilot on Sept. 14.
Despite such grim realities, Fr. Noah said a reason for convening this conversation in a church setting is because “we traffic in this sense of hope for the future, of faith that things will get better, and in the sense that even in the darkest moments, even in the most difficult circumstances, there are possibilities that we can’t even know.” Often, he said, in fact, usually, “they surprise us,” and it is important to be “open” to that surprise.
As we all know, Christ & St. Luke’s itself is in a spot that floods regularly, as Fr. Jared pointed out as he introduced the talk.
“I often find myself as the town crier announcing that the tides are coming,” Fr. Jared said. “Running around to make sure that no one parked in our notorious flood zone right outside the doors here. I don’t mean to make light of this issue as we’re all in a rather precarious situation in this region, but I do mean to point out that we all live with a disconnect between the day-to-day lives we want to live and the realities of climate change that threaten that very existence.”
Our featured guest was Margaret Renkl, award-winning author of “The Comfort of Crows” and other works, and a contributing opinion writer on flora, fauna, politics and culture in the American South for the New York Times. In conversation with Fr. Noah, Ms. Renkl offered a reflection on finding meaning, combating loneliness, and cultivating hope amidst the overwhelming realities of the climate crisis.
We invite you to watch a recording of the entire conversation on our YouTube channel or below.
Fr. Noah asked Ms. Renkl about the challenge of measuring impact in her environmental efforts, particularly when faced with enormous opposition. Asked if she felt like she was making a difference, Ms. Renkl admitted with a touch of humor she had “no idea,” noting that if she judged by her local neighborhood changes, the answer would be no. She challenged the assumption that activism must yield immediate, visible results: “I’m not sure it’s the right question really,” she said, “just because it almost doesn’t matter.”
“For people who care, whatever we care about, the truth of whether you are successful or not is in your soul. Like, how does it change you? How does that activity make you feel?” she asked. “If it’s making you feel like you’re doing your best, I think that’s all we’re called to do. And the ramifications might happen long after we’re gone, and that’s fine. You know, you don’t plant a tree expecting it to die when you die. You plant a tree for future generations to enjoy. And I think if I ask myself the question, am I seeing a difference? I would be very disappointed in myself. But if I ask myself: Am I doing what I feel is the right thing to do? Then that’s all I ask. That’s all, I think any of us are called to do.”
“The truth of whether you are successful or not is in your soul…. The ramifications might happen long after we’re gone, and that’s fine.”
Margaret REnkl
A deep sadness for Ms. Renkl stems from realizing “how many people feel alone in this world right now,” she said. She believes many people assume they are the “only one in their church” or “extended family” who thinks the way they do about issues of environmental stewardship, though this is “just not true.” She views her writing and work as crucial for “giving heart to the believers” and helping people “feel less alone.” She also stressed how easy it is for different people to find common ground around environmental issues, despite much contemporary rhetoric that might suggest otherwise.
Ms. Renkl also offered practical guidance on avoiding paralysis when contemplating the scale of the global catastrophes wrought by climate change. She warned against the insistence on “purity tests” — for example, criticizing someone for composting leftover food but not driving an electric car — the black-and-white thinking that demands all or nothing. She said purity tests are “useless, and I think they’re dangerous” because “you don’t have to do it all for what you do to matter.” Instead of seeing sustainable living as a sacrifice, it should be seen as a “source of joy,” she said, giving the example of planting butterfly weed in her garden to attract the beautiful insects, and to feel like part of a broader community effort to help butterfly populations.
There was a lively discussion of Ms. Renkl’s ideas both in the church, and in the Lychgate Garden outside, afterwards.
Despite acknowledging that environmentally, “it looks terribly, terribly bad,” Ms. Renkl keeps hope. This perspective is rooted in recognizing uncertainty: “We don’t know what’s going to happen,” she stressed. This fundamental tenet of faith — that the future is open — is “where hope can find purchase” and “take root,” she said. And for those struggling to persist, she encouraged viewing hope as a “muscle” to exercise.
Ms. Renkl concluded the evening with a plea for perseverance, reminding the audience that they are indispensable in this ongoing effort: “We have to figure out how we can get through this…because we can’t spare you from this work,” she said.
—Ms. Renkl’s book, “The Comfort of Crows” is the subject of Fr. Noah’s monthly book study event on Friday, September 26 between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. in the church meeting room. The plan is simple: read the book ahead of time and come ready to talk about it. No need to RSVP just come!
