Faith in Our Future
Rewilding the Quaker Journey for
Climate Discernment & Action
Climate Discernment & Action
A Work of the Unity with Nature Committee (UwN) of the Pacific Yearly Meeting (PacYM)
of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
Faith in our Future: Rewilding the Quaker Journey
"Our planetary crisis is calling us to spiritual rebirth and rewilding. It is a call to center ourselves and journey together with Spirit, becoming seeds of hope and co-creating a new reality."
~ Leoma Scott, Santa Cruz Friends Meeting
Few in our world now doubt that a planetary crisis is upon us; what we doubt is our power to do anything meaningful about it.
It isn't that we don't know what needs to happen. It has been more than 30 years since the The United Nations held its first international summit on climate change, known as the Rio Earth Summit, and the basic objectives have remained the same. We know that as a global community we must:
- Reduce the carbon and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere;
- Nurture the biosphere and protect biodiversity; and
- Work together to make, in fairness and justice, the lifestyle and infrastructure changes that can no longer be avoided.
But if we step back to view the whole, we can see that the planetary crisis is intertwined with our lives at every level from the private to the global. The problem is too huge and complex for any solitary person to grasp. And in the face of such overwhelm, many of us turn away, avoid news feeds, seek meaning or distraction elsewhere, or just numb out, unable to talk about our concerns--let alone act on them. Many, especially younger people, find themselves in outright despair, their own futures now perilously uncertain.
It is here, in this crisis of faith, that we as Quakers are called to reimagine ourselves. As we rewild our ecosystems, we must, together, rewild our faith.
This site is for sharing and support as we seek to answer that of God in everyone. We of the Unity With Nature Committee of the Pacific Yearly Meeting have created these pages in the hopes of helping us all discern how we as as Quakers may best respond to the climate crisis with courage and compassion and in the fullness of faith. On this website we have included information and best practices to:
Rewilding means unleashing our souls so that God can help us co-create a world newly alive with Spirit. Together we can discern the best practices to move forward. Together we can stand up to the powerful forces still working against these possibilities.
May our efforts be strengthened not only by determination, but also by humility as we take our next steps, keeping open the way even in the darkest hour.
- Prepare and nurture ourselves and our Meetings for the work ahead;
- Find the resources we need that can call forth that livable future;
- Help each other find and live the faith to act and to discern what it is that we each are called to do, bringing our traditional processes of clearness into the service of others in our communities and networks;
- Better understand how what we are already doing or are called to do, such as our work for justice, our work to protect wildlife and our work to end war can be part of an emerging livable future;
- Become aware of and connect with some of the many others Friends and other faith communities who are bringing forth solutions and possibilities;
- Engage with some of the complex dynamic systems of our world.
Rewilding means unleashing our souls so that God can help us co-create a world newly alive with Spirit. Together we can discern the best practices to move forward. Together we can stand up to the powerful forces still working against these possibilities.
May our efforts be strengthened not only by determination, but also by humility as we take our next steps, keeping open the way even in the darkest hour.
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