The land, the world, earth, loam, these words are a few that we use to talk about where we live. Of course our existence is much more than simply physical, but today of all days it is brought home to me that it is no bad thing to celebrate a simple life.
I get the bulk of my opinions and attitudes about ecology from Tolkein, and I use the quotation above from Bilbo Baggins to express my own sentiments. Thanks for indulging me, BB old friend.
As expected by fans of Health Patio, I found out about an event that melded the physical and spiritual, however, as reported by Episcopal Life Online. (I’m a long time reader of Bishop Spong, as a pertinent aside.) “[L]eaders from ten faith traditions including the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan on April 22 planted the first of 12,000 trees during an Earth Day ceremony on the shores of Lake Superior.” It seems 20+ inches of snow could not hold back the EarthKeepers from loving their mother. (I don’t know what is keeping them from getting their own domain name, but accolade none-the-less.)
“Our interfaith tree planting effort is more than another conservation project,” said Rev. Jon Magnuson, CTI executive director and EarthKeeper Initiative co-founder. “With prayers, hymns and the blessing of 12,000 seedlings, it’s a gentle proclamation of a new consciousness and commitment among our faith communities to care for G-d’s creation.”
An annual Jewish holiday celebrates the blossoming of the almond trees in Israel at the start of spring, said Dr. Constance Arnold, president of the board for Temple Beth Sholom. Dr. Arnold participated in the tree planting and represented the faith tradition of Jews at the event. “Tu B’Shvat is a very ancient holiday we observe yearly – this year it fell on February 9,” said Arnold. “This is a reminder of the importance of trees.” The holiday marks the “New Year of Trees”and customs include tree planting and eating dried fruits and nuts during an evening meal. “We get together on that day and have something to eat from as many of the fruits of the tree as you can come up with,” Arnold said. “We bring apricots, cherries, olives, dates, pomegranates and cinnamon.”
I am always trying to get people to recycle especially at my school, and i’m always trying to do anyhting I can to help the environment like using all natural cleaning products, and cat litter, etc. I urge everyone I knwo to always do these things, and they are going to save our earth if only everyone would join in. It’s not that hard to put things in the recycling instead of the trash, and it’s not that hard to not throw your trash on the ground. The all natural stuff is as good as the other stuff and is sometimes cheaper! Help save our eath, help our kids’ kids and their kids and there after live on to become an even better world, help the earth, stop global warming, and all the pollution. Buy a smart car, and take the bus! ride your bike and loose the weight! SAVE THE EARTH AND YOURSELVES!