Wake up and Change

I feel fortunate to spend much of my time with younger folks.  It is a privilege to work with college-age students.  They normally are full of hope and want the very best in their lives.  I agree this should be their perspective.  In the bigger global picture, they are actually pretty privileged---even though most of them don’t think so.  But if you look at all the young folks their age around the world, most of the ones who are my students have it made. 

If I find any fault with them, it is how preoccupied they can be with their own issues and problems.  Again, I don’t find this surprising.  Most people are ruled by self-interest.  Even I have to admit that self-interest plays a big role in my life.  What I try to do is not let it be the dominant motif in life. That is why I espouse to be a servant-leader.  At least I can recognize that I want to be and act on behalf of others.  That’s the aim anyway. 

Occasionally, we all run into exceptional people.  That is how I see Greta Thunberg.  If you have not heard of this remarkable young lady from Sweden, you need to pay more attention.  She is part of the young contingent who is already making a difference world-wide.  And your kids and grandkids may owe their very futures to her and those like her.  And she was only born in 2003!  She is remarkable. 

Greta is the one who inspires the title for this inspirational piece: wake up and change.  Let me fill you in on her and her background and her ministry---if I may be so bold as to claim it in that fashion.  Her life and work I consider to be the epitome of spiritual living and working.  And I have no clue about her religious affiliation and, frankly, it does not matter too much to me in this instance. 

I am going to label Greta the apostle of global warming or climate change.  She is also prophetically appearing in the world to proclaim the need for immediate change and to call others to change.  She is particularly appealing to the young folks, for which I am grateful.  My sorrow is my sense that so many of the students I teach have never heard of her.  They will!  Let me present some lines from a TED talk she recently did that will present the key ideas. 

She talks about the emissions from our cars, etc. that are causing significant problems.  This impacts almost everyone I know, including me.  We need to think about making changes.  She challenges me to think about changes I can make.  Her logic is spot on.  For example, she says “everyone keeps saying climate change is an existential threat and the most important issue of all, and yet they just carry on like before.”  Guilty, I plead.  No one will describe this as a call to repentance, but I think that is what it is.  

She sets up her analysis with what seem like innocent questions.  And then follows the punch line.  “Are we knowingly causing a mass extinction?  Are we evil?  No, of course not.  People keep doing what they do because the vast majority doesn't have a clue about the actual consequences of our everyday life, and they don't know that rapid change is required.  We all think we know, and we all think everybody knows, but we don't. Because how could we?”  She explains a great deal here, but unfortunately explaining it does not necessarily lead to change. 

She takes humanity off the hook by acknowledging we are not knowingly creating this global mess.  We are innocently committing the mayhem we see unfolding.  She does not think we are evil.  I don’t think most people are evil (maybe some exceptions certainly act out some evil).  But we are sinners.  She does not use that language, but I certainly feel clear to do so.  Again, to sin is to be in need of some repentance. 

She nails it when she says the vast majority of us don’t have a clue about the actual consequences of our actions. That’s true, but also regrettable.  We need to wake up.  We need to pay attention.  We can’t claim to be ignorant, although that is what climate change deniers are!  The good/bad news is people my age will escape.  We will be out of the mess before we have to pay for the mess.  But I am worried about my grandkids and their offspring. 

I think she is correct.  Rapid change is needed.  I suspect it is actually required.  I am willing to allow that she is speaking on behalf of the Spirit.  The kind of God in whom I believe is calling us now to be co-creators of this new and renewed world.  We should not be the problems when we can join Greta and be the solutions.  It’s our choice, but we have to choose.  We need to wake up and change.   

And then we need to become apostles of change, too.  This is not the time to say we are too busy.  Nothing else we do may be as important as this work of ministry.