Religion and Environment Songs: Nobody’s Fault by Aerosmith

Picture courtesy of aerosmith.com

 

Song Picks by Natalie

The first verse of Nobody’s Fault by Aerosmith says:

Running for the sea

Holy lands are sinking

Birds take to the sky

I think that the first three lines are describing the destruction of the earth and the line “holy lands are sinking” is alluding to rising sea levels taking precious land.

The next lines:

The prophets are all stinking drunk

I know the reason why

Eyes are full of desire

Mind is so ill at ease

Everything is on fire

I think that “The prophets are all stinking drunk” is referring to people no longer listening to the teachings of God.  In the next lines, I believe the lyrics are saying the reason people are no longer listening to the teachings of God and therefore destroying the earth is because of human’s desire for more. This has led to an uncomfortable society where our minds are “ill at ease and everything is on fire.”

The last chorus of the songs states:

Man has known
And now he’s blown it
Upside down and hell’s the only sound
We did an awful job
And now we’re just a little too late

I think that these lines are saying humans have known we shouldn’t be destroying the earth, but we did it anyways, and now, everything is not how it should be. Humans have ignored the warnings and now it’s too late.

To read the lyrics, click here.

To listen to the song, click here.

Meet Sālote: a Young Witness to Climate Change

Picture courtesy of http://operationnoah.org/

Sālote is a video produced by Operation Noah that aims to hep Christians around the world recognize the human cost of climate change, and particularly its impact on women and children. The video was made in partnership with World Day of Prayer and is inspired by real-life accounts of present-day climate change impacts. To watch the short video, click here.

The Biblical Basis for Advocacy to end Hunger

Picture courtesy of bread.org/

This document from Bread for the World provides nine biblical themes that guide their mission to end hunger. They cite scripture for each theme to show why they believe it is their duty to love all people and ensure that no person goes hungry. To read more, click here.

Bread for the World: Have Faith. End Hunger.

Picture courtesy of bread.org/

Bread for the World is a collective Christian voice urging the nation’s decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad. By changing policies, programs, and conditions that allow hunger and poverty to exist, they provide help and opportunity at home and abroad to end hunger.

“God’s grace in Jesus Christ moves us to help our neighbors, whether they live in the next house, the next state, or the next continent.”

To read more about Bread for the World or to get engaged with their work towards eradicating hunger, click here.

Religious Statements on Climate Change

Picture courtesy of interfaithpowerandlight.org

 

Interfaith Power & Light has compiled a list of different religious community’s statements on climate change. The list includes statements from different denominations including: Baha’i, Buddhist, Christianity, Hindu, Interfaith, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, and Unitarian Universalist. To view the entire list and to read more about the individual statements, click here.

Catholic Relief Services Best Photographs 2018

This photo is part of CRS' best photos of 2018, it's the tsunami in Indonesia.

Picture courtesy of crs.org; Photographer Mohammed Hafiz

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has created the “Through the Lens of Our Photographers,” project. This is its third year of the CRS Photos Department’s annual collection of the best photos of the year. CRS Photo Librarian Lauren Carroll and Photo Editor Philip Laubner hope to offer photos that have a “lasting impact and transcend their parts to represent something bigger, something universal, something that talks to a larger human truth.” To view all of the photographs from 2018, click here.

 

Build a Catholic Relief Services Ark of Hope

CRS: Catholic Relief Services

Picture courtesy of crs.org

“Remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature—every mortal being that is on Earth.” – Genesis 9:16

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) created Ark of Hope as a way to get communities engaged in a fun and creative way. Relating to the hope and promise from the story of Noah’s Ark, the CRS Ark of Hope program allows communities to donate symbolic animals to people in need as they “build an ark.” As communities work towards their goal, they can color in animals and place them on an arc. The materials included with this program are lesson plans, a prayer service, coloring pages, and a bulletin-board Ark to show the progress communities are making towards reaching their goals and building their ark. To read more or begin an Ark of Hope, click here.