“You, mortal, I have made a sentinel for the house of Israel.” ~ Ezekiel 33:7

“I arise in the morning torn between the twin desires to save the world and enjoy it.

This makes it hard to plan the day.” ~ E. B. White

Sometimes the work of climate advocacy feels like this. On the one hand, we are called to live in the moment; to savor the sweetness of the world; to walk in the woods for a much-needed forest bath; to plant seeds in the dirt and show up for watering, weeding, tending and feeding. On the other hand, we are called to bear witness to what we see in the world: The injustice of corporate greed for short-term gain, the neglect of the most vulnerable in flood prone regions, the bulldozing of protected land in Big Bend State Park, and the carelessness of SpaceX rocket debris being launched at the moon.

In the Greek, to bear witness was to be a martyr. To tell the truth about what you see. To be open with your communication. As Jesus advised in this week’s gospel: “Go to the one who has offended you and speak to them.” (Matthew 18:15) And as Ezekiel, the prophet, was instructed to be a sentinel: (33:7) One who watches and stands guard. One who pays attention to what is going on. And one who sounds the alarm when danger is imminent.

As I write this, I’m planning a trip to Glacier National Park in Montana in early September. It’s my first visit to the park which is known as The Crown of the Continent, home to abundant wildlife: bighorn sheep, elk, goats, grizzly bear, and Canadian lynx. The land is sacred to the Blackfoot and the Flathead tribes. They found plentiful game and refuge here during the harsh winters on the plains, where they lived the rest of the year. They also sent people to these mountains, which they called The Backbone of the World, for vision quests to find one’s place in the tribe.

Recently, the National Park System reported that in 1850 there were 150 glaciers. Today there are only 25 remaining. They estimate that if present warming trends continue, by 2030 all the glaciers will have melted. That doesn’t diminish the grandeur of how the ice age left its mark on this Crown of the Continent, but it does feel like we’re living through history as it happens at an alarming rate.

So, what does it mean to be a sentinel, to bear witness to what is happening on this planet? What does it mean to stand guard?  To sound the alarm?   What does it mean to grow a backbone and embrace a new vision as stewards of this great garden? How will you feed the twin desires to enjoy the world and to save it?

Let us pray:

 O God, help us to tread softly on the earth, becoming more than just spectators but sentinels to what we have witnessed. Help us to share what I have seen wherever two or more are gathered in your name. Amen.