Why get together to share ideas? Why join a group? Why form an eco group or club?

Getting together and sharing is a central theme of our Christian faith. It is most prominently exercised in the celebration of the Eucharist. We are being invited to get together and work towards a better world.

When we are alone it is all too easy to worry about the injustices we see or hear about, to feel helpless about them, to think that the world doesn’t care or perhaps see that any attempt to care is mocked or derided. We may feel overloaded with all the graphic images of suffering that are so accessible these days. It may be very tempting to hide our gaze, be numbed by such images, or alternatively get angry because we feel that no-one seems to be trying to make things better. We may be put off by those who “tend to ridicule expressions of concern for the environment” or refuse to change habits through passivity (Laudato Si’ 217). Let us be confident and allow the “encounter with Jesus Christ become evident in [our] relationship with the world around [us]” (ibid). A group will keep us motivated and emotionally supported.

How do we understand “ecological conversion”?

We are taught by the Encyclical Laudato Si’ that “self-improvement on the part of individuals will not by itself remedy the extremely complex situation facing our world today. Isolated individuals can lose their ability and freedom to escape the utilitarian mindset, and end up prey to an unethical consumerism bereft of social or ecological awareness” (LS 219). Only together do we build community awareness and gain the strength to act with good social and ecological concern. This forms the outward community facing part of what might be called an “ecological conversion”. Another part of such an “ecological conversion” rests on an internal spiritual conviction. Christians through the ages have sought personal spiritual renewal through retreats, pilgrimages, study and asceticism, leading to a simpler more fulfilled life. And the example of St Francis of Assisi reminds us “that a healthy relationship with creation is one dimension of overall personal conversion” (LS 218).

Throughout human history, progress has happened together and not apart. “The ecological conversion needed to bring about lasting change is also a community conversion” (LS 219).

What are some practical steps?

Ask around at your church or school if there is a group you can join. There may be ecumenical or multi-faith groups in your area looking to heal the relationship with creation. There could be a Laudato Si’ Circle nearby or a local CAFOD LiveSimply group (or a local Caritas group) or a study or discussion group on the topic. There could be an eco club or a group of people getting together to garden, litter pick or recycle. If none exist then why not start a group or eco club? If you have children then encourage the school to start one. You could even share a meal to bring some hope. Everyone has an important role to play in rebalancing our relationship with world around us.

Your stories inspire us too. What steps have you taken or will take on your community’s ecological conversion?