Surviving The Fall, 51

Yesterday morning, when I stepped outside, I was overwhelmed with a sense of wellbeing. The cool air following our recent heat wave seemed to help and the lush greenery of June was all around me. The cool air of June, in the early morning, is particularly lovely. And I also reflected, while seeing others rushing around me, how little cause I have for unhappiness. Yes, I know, the world is going to hell. The world has always been going to hell. Some days we know it more than others. But not all the world is going there, is it? I know that we have science on the side of pessimism for our future outcome and that is not an easy prn to swallow. But is science always right? It seems that as we have abandoned religion and faith, we have simply come to put our faith in science. We are still a religious species, us humans. We simply just channel it where it's going to be most convenient. From Christians to born-again atheists. So the scientists and medical doctors and researchers have become the new priesthood, and their word, of course, is going to be infallible. It isn't that I reject science and rationalism. Of course I don't. But as a person of faith, I also accept that our knowledge of ourselves, the earth and the universe is always going to be very limited and very restricted, no matter how much we learn. We have hypothesis and theory upon theory and hypothesis, and then in the next generation some new research blows out of the water the accepted dogma from the previous. and it is also well known how the various scientific establishments are generally very reluctant to consider any knew knowledge or findings that contradict their cherished dogmas. I remember how upset I got a room full of Anglicans a few years ago. It was during a book club discussion. The subject of climate change came up and suddenly everyone was going on like professional mourners or like Jeremiah wannabes as they lamented the dreadful, dark and deadly future that our reliance on fossil fuels is going to plunge Gaia into, and then I had to open my mouth. I simply asked one little question: "Whose earth is this?" They got really mad at me, especially as I tried to explain to them what I wish to repeat on these pages to you, Gentle Reader: God is in charge...of the universe, the planet, and (although we don't like the idea most of the time), he is also in charge of our lives. Still with me? Yes, we have our part to play by being good and responsible stewards to this planet, and that we do everything in our power to halt this destruction through reliance on fossil fuels, plastics and the eating of meat. And we are dragging our hienies. Still, it is God, and not us, who is going to write the final chapter for our Mother Earth, and not all the scientific research and findings in the world is going to do anything to change this. This doesn't absolve us of our responsibility. We have a lot of work to do and for the most part we would rather go on throwing garbage on the landfill and fowling the earth and water with our toxins and none of this bodes well. Scary, yes. because it makes our future all the more uncertain. But uncertainty can also germinate new hope. For my part, I am not going to make myself miserable over any of this. I have a natural predisposition towards joy, and this is going to be my strength, and joy is what is going to fuel and empower me as I do my part to work towards a cleaner, more sustainable and healthier planet. If I simply focus on what's not being done by others then I could get pretty miserable, and sadness and depression only serve to paralyze. Joy, fueled by righteous anger and love will be just the cutting instrument to help get us through this. and if we all get swallowed up in planetary destruction? I will still go down laughing. Even Dr. David Suzuki has said that there is hope and that without hope we cannot possibly move forward. And move forward we shall. One step at a time. But we are going to have to make sacrifices and some of those sacrifices might be very big and difficult. Get ready!