Earth Week: our “call to care for creation”

Monday, April 20 marked the beginning of Earth Week around the world and, of course, on our two campuses: the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University. I hope you have been attending some of the events, which include talks, service opportunities, rock climbing, film, bike rides, triathlon and the March of the Koi. It is wonderful to see so many diverse events taking place to honor our common home, the Earth.

Earth Week asks us to be aware of the different pressures that human activity can have on earth system processes. I would like to make a connection to St. Benedict and monasteries during the 6th century. While scholars don’t know the exact year that St. Benedict (480 A.D. – 547 A.D.) wrote his Rule, some pinpoint 530 A.D. Assuming that’s accurate, it is important to draw attention to a significant volcano that erupted six years later in 536 A.D. Due to volcanic dust, sunlight was very limited for almost a year (across Europe), which in some instances led to agricultural collapse, famine and major cooling on a global scale. Scientists don’t know the exact location of the volcano, but Iceland or California are two possible contenders.

This caused a climate event in central and northern Italy involving significant rain and flooding. Benedict would have been living in Monte Cassino at the time, which is in central Italy. Add to this climate event the Ostrogothic wars and the Justinian plague, it’s clear that Benedictine monasteries were governing themselves during a period of major instability.

How did they, or monasteries now, manage their way through periods of instability? Commitment to community is essential. By considering the entire community, and the land it exists on, monastics focus on taking care of each other and the tools and buildings that facilitate their ministry and apostolates.

Being rooted in daily prayer is what makes the commitment to community possible. Prayer nourishes our bodies and hearts. It opens us to communion with God. When done regularly, it can provide stability during instability. It teaches us that we are finite creatures and that we must be humble before God. This point acknowledges that being aware of the divine presence that permeates community interactions allows us to feel wrapped in holy intimacy.

Seeing a monastery as a school in the Lord’s service is another way to manage times of instability. Human turmoil can increase during times of instability and a school in the Lord’s service provides a space to walk with each other. They can do this by orienting us toward learning, dialogue and the practice of accompaniment. It is important to note that a school is also a place of experimentation. Being alert to the creative workings of the spirit can help us grow in unanticipated ways and respond to situations in new ways.

I echo President Bruess’s recent email that said the “call to care for creation is ultimately a call to care for another.” We have numerous opportunities between the two campuses for staff, faculty, students, friends and monks to be witnesses of care. We can walk with each other during times of instability.