SACRED SEASON FOR
CLIMATE JUSTICE

resourcecollection

SACRED SEASON RESOURCE COLLECTION

Table of Contents
Introduction
Featured Resources
Baha’í
Buddhist
Christian
Hindu
Interfaith/SpiritualJewishMuslimShintoOther Resources

Introduction
For years, organizers and leaders throughout GreenFaith (but particularly in the
global south) have asked for a multi-faith collection of resources on climate andenvironmental justice. In late 2021, Rabbi Arthur Waskow recognized that many
religious holidays would be happening around the same time as Earth Day and theEquinox. The collection of sacred days became a perfect time to collectively createa resource. Contributions have come from around the world, boldly and faithfully
naming that we need a more just climate for all. That means no more new fossil
fuel projects, a phase out of current fossil fuel projects, and an investment in ajust transition. Today, we must place a call for climate justice at the core of ourshared identity as people of faith.
Over the past decade, the climate emergency has become impossible to ignore;
especially as people of faith and conscience, we cannot turn away. The time hascome for us to act with greater public courage. Our many faiths share their valuesof respect and kindness towards others. But they also share a demand for action in

SACRED SEASON RESOURCE COLLECTION
the face of injustice: Opposing what’s wrong and standing up for what is right.
Working for climate justice, grounded in prayer and faith.
Dharma. Good works. The divine path. The commandments of God. Grace.
Harmony. Oneness. All of our diverse faiths and spiritualities have different terms
for the imperative to work for justice. And all of them have different stories ofhumanity’s relationship with our precious planet. All of them share the same
truth—the earth is a sacred trust. And when we ignore our duty towards the earth,and our duty to resist injustice, we risk our lives and the lives of others, our souls,
and our relationship to the divine.
If we are to take our faiths and spiritual values seriously, we must take seriously
the work to end climate change. We must take seriously the struggle against thefossil fuel companies, banks, and governments which are driving this crisis. We
must call on them to change for the good of all, and to support clean energy for
absolutely everyone, and green jobs that lift people from poverty. We must resist
the easy path of quoting from scripture, mediation, or manifestation one day andthen accepting the destruction of our climate the next. We must act on our values
and beliefs together, as people of diverse faiths and spiritualities, for our common
home.
That is why we—as people of faith —are demanding an immediate end to any newoil, coal or gas projects, a phase out of existing fossil fuel projects, and a massive
investment in a rapid and just transition to a clean energy future. These are thesteps truly needed, according to the science of climate change and our sharedspiritual beliefs. No bridge fuels, no temporary expansions of drilling, no delays.
The end of fossil fuels must begin now.
To do less is to break faith—faith with our own neighbors, faith with our children
and grandchildren, and faith in God.

SACRED SEASON RESOURCE COLLECTION

Featured Resources
Easter Prayer Ritual (by Rev. Miguel Salanic - Christian)This Easter prayer and candle-lighting ritual grounds us where we are androots our Resurrection celebration in the theme of creation care.
Miguel Salanic is a Mayan Kiche Indian. He is a Priest in the Anglican Episcopal Church in Guatemala.
Vice-President of the Latin American Ecumenical Articulation of Indigenous Pastoral AELAPI. Last
Continental Coordinator of the Indigenous Pastoral of the Latin American Council of Churches CLAI.

Eco-Beatitudes (by enfleshed - Interfaith/Spiritual)
This new take on the Christian Scriptures’ Beatitudes implicates humanity inthe hurting and healing of creation and calls us to greater care for Earth.
enfleshed seeks to create and facilitate “spiritual nourishment for collective liberation.”

EcoHoli (by Dr. Pankaj Jain - Hindu)
This reflection connects the colorful and life-giving Hindu celebration of Holi,
and its mythology, with the call for humanity to better care for its earthly home
and all its beings.
Dr. Pankaj Jain is a professor of Philosophy, Religious Studies, Film Studies, Sustainability, and Diaspora
Studies. He has authored three books and has co-edited the Hinduism Section of the Encyclopedia ofIndian Religions. His articles have appeared in multiple academic journals and popular websites.

Essay: Eco-Theology in the Biblical Tradition (by Rabbi Arthur Ocean Waskow,
Ph.D. - Jewish)
This essay describes an Earth-centered theology rooted in the tradition of the
Hebrew Scriptures.
Arthur Ocean Waskow is an American author, political activist, and rabbi associated with the Jewish
Renewal movement.

Invoking the Mother Lineage (submitted by Irene Woodard, by meditation master
Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche - Buddhist)
As Shambhala Buddhists… Our prayers and actions are all in service for the
Basic Goodness in each of us. We supplicate to be gentle and tough.
Our discipline wakes us up so we may face the reality of Climate injustice.
And take bold action to create an equitable world. These resources speak tovarious Buddhist teachings that can inspire our environmental action.
“Invoking the Mother Lineage” makes a supplication to the lineage.
Timely Rain (submitted by Irene Woodard, by meditation master Chogyam
Trungpa Rinpoche - Buddhist)
These resources speak to various Buddhist teachings that can inspire ourenvironmental action. In “Timely Rain,” The Shambhala Warrior looks at reality
as it is.

SACRED SEASON RESOURCE COLLECTION
Dedication of Merit (submitted by Irene Woodard - Buddhist)
These resources speak to various Buddhist teachings that can inspire ourenvironmental action. Whatever the occasion, we conclude with a dedicationof merit in order that whatever is accomplished is dedicated for the benefit of
all beings.

Irene Woodard is Vice Chair of the GreenFaith Board. She is the owner of TrueBlooms—a floral business
which uses seasonal, fresh, local flowers—and one of the founders of The Shambhala Touching the Earth
Collective, the Shambhala Buddhist environmental initiative.

Our Earth: Embracing All Communities (by Salma Arastu - Muslim)
This beautiful collection of original artwork is inspired by this verse of Quran:“There is not an animal on the earth, nor a flying creature flying on two wings,
but they are communities like you.” Understanding this verse served as a
Divine invitation to follow the concerns of ecologists in our present times.

Prayer Based on Jeremiah 31:15 (by Aric Clark - Christian)This prayer laments the active instances of ecocide and ecological degradation
happening on this Earth today and thus calls us to engage in healing as part ofour faithful practice.
Rev. Aric Clark is a PCUSA minister and activist in Portland, Oregon.

Sermon for Easter (by Rev. Dr. Sary N. Rosario Ferreira - Christian)Dr. Sary N. Rosario Ferreira is an ordained minister of the Christian Church
Disciples of Christ in Puerto Rico. She is Assistant Pastor to the General Pastorof the Christian Church Disciples of Christ in Puerto Rico for the area of Family
and Ministerial Care.

SACRED SEASON RESOURCE COLLECTION
Study Guide: Climate Change: Do My Choices Matter? (by JustFaith Ministries Christian)This group study curriculum provides tools to reflect on individual vs. systemic
actions in the face of climate change and grounds Christians in pursuit ofclimate justice.
JustFaith Ministries is a U.S.-based nonprofit that creates transformative programs that inspire action toaddress the root causes of injustice, while serving with love.

SACRED SEASON RESOURCE COLLECTION

Bahá’í
Today, we must place a call for climate justice at the core of our Baha’i faith and practice.
A prayer for our earth is not enough. Calling for healing is not enough. Our faith urges us to seek
oneness and harmony. But it also demands that we work to create that harmony, that we seek
restoration. Bahá’u’lláh was clear that intention alone is not sufficient. We must have the will toact.
Baha’i teaches us to reject the dogma of materialism. To understand that the path to oneness is not
through wealth, but through moderation and humility. Human hearts are inherently intertwinedwith the world - we affect and are affected by it. We are interdependent and coexistent.God ispresent in nature and God’s glory is revealed in nature’s diversity. To permit humanity to destroy
that creation in the name of materialism is to turn our back on our teachings.

Compilations from the Bahá’í Writings: ​Bahá’í Quotations on Environment andSustainable Development (from Monica Schweitz, by International Environment
Forum)
This compilation brings together many references in the Bahá'í Writings andstatements of the Bahá'í International Community that are relevant to theenvironment and sustainability. The Bahá'í Writings warn of the dangers ofmaterial civilization carried to excess, enjoin moderation, emphasize theoneness of humankind, and support ecological principles such as theinterrelatedness of all things, unity in diversity, and the fundamental reality ofincreasing levels of cooperation, complexity and reciprocity across the vast
extent of creation. The Bahá'í Faith considers the preservation of the ecologicalbalance at all levels in the world to be of vital concern to all humanity, andurges action for the environment and sustainable development from the local
to the global level in ways that are in harmony with the rhythm of life in thecommunity.
The International Environment Forum, as a Bahá'í-inspired professional organization for environmentand sustainability, shares and upholds the principles and ideals of the Bahá'í Faith and supports its efforts
to establish and promote peace, the unity of the human race, and an ever-advancing world civilizationthat preserves the ecological balance of the planet.

Praying for Mother Nature (from Monica Schweitz, by Makeena Rivers)
This reflection takes a look at the intersecting and intertwined issues of justicethat depend on our care for creation. It gives hope for us to continue to work in
the face of despair and draws on Bahá’í teachings to encourage us in ourcommitment to climate justice.
Makeena Rivers is a recent graduate from Columbia School of Social Work where she focused on race,incarceration, education, and class. Before New York, she studied psychology and sociology at Emory
University. She is passionate about seeking justice and healing through building creatively.

SACRED SEASON RESOURCE COLLECTION

Buddhist
We must renounce our culture of materialism marked by overconsumption and unlimited growth.
This renunciation is at the core of our Buddhist faith and practice. We must for the sake ofselflessness, modesty, equality, compassion, and the sacredness of all life.
A prayer for our earth is not enough. Calling for healing is not enough. Our spiritualities demand
we seek peace with each other and with the planet. But it also demands that we work to end
suffering and violence. This crisis affecting our very survival is the greatest violence humanity has
ever committed. This is unprecedented suffering. Many already suffer the effects of extreme
climate events.
Buddhism teaches us that there is a path to the end of suffering. It teaches us that on that path lies
right action—the imperative to act with moral clarity in the face of injustice. We must have rightspeech - the imperative to speak truth. We must have right livelihood—the imperative to live
simply, within the capacity of the earth. It teaches us that all living things are connected. How wetreat other living things has a profound effect on our personal karma and path to enlightenment.
And it has an effect on the enlightenment of our nations and our national and global karma.
If we are to take seriously our path as Buddhists, we must take seriously our responsibility first, tofirst do no harm. This means reducing our consumption and waste and helping others do the same.
We need to learn to live simply. We have already gone beyond the carrying capacity of the earth. It
will be necessary to do what we can to restore the earth and all life to health. We need clean air
and water, enriched soils, reforestation and regeneration. We must hold fossil fuel companies,
banks, and governments responsible for their direct contributions to this crisis. We must resist theeasy choice to detach from these concerns. Instead, we must speak and act for the preservation of
our planet and a more just society.
That is why we—as Buddhists, as seekers of peace and compassion—must demand an immediate
end to any new oil, coal or gas projects, a phase out of existing fossil fuel projects, and a broad
commitment to energy conservation at all levels of society supported by a rapid and just transition
to a clean energy future. No bridge fuels, no temporary expansions of drilling, no delays. The end offossil fuels and our addiction to consumerism and growth must begin now. We must understandhow our consumption keeps the fossil fuel industry in business. Our teachings make it clear thattrue peace and happiness can only be found within, not in more things.
To do less falls short of our responsibility to reduce the suffering of all.

Buddhist Sacred Texts (from The Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology)

SACRED SEASON RESOURCE COLLECTION
These sacred Buddhists texts, which span centuries and Buddhist societies
across the globe, give a glimpse into Buddhist teachings on the environmentand human-nature relations.
The Time to Act is Now: A Buddhist Declaration on Climate Change (One Earth
Sangha)David Loy, Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, and John Stanley co-authored this call toaction in 2009 and updated it in 2015 in preparation for the COP21 climate
negotiations, where leaders presented it to negotiators. Hundreds of Buddhist
leaders have signed it, making it “the first time so many Buddhist luminaries
came together on any global issue to speak with one voice.”
Buddhist Faith Statement on the Environment
Buddhist leaders from Europe, Cambodia, Mongolia, and Vietnam penned thisstatement about the environment.
Buddhist Prayer for Planet: Right Mindfulness (by Martin Palmer)
In this Buddhist prayer, prayed during COP26 in November 2021, FaithInvest
founder Martin Palmer addresses the theme of humans not simply being
managers but instead an active part of the world around them.
Manzanita Village Precepts (submitted by Michael Richardson, from Manzanita
Village)
These Five Householder Precepts encourage awareness and harmony in ourinteractions with one another and the earth.

Michael is a core organizer with the Rivers & Mountains GreenFaith Circle in the Upper Hudson Valley
and practices engaged buddhism in the Zen Peacemaker Order.

Dedication of Merit (submitted by Irene Woodard)
These resources speak to various Buddhist teachings that can inspire ourenvironmental action. Whatever the occasion, we conclude with a dedicationof merit in order that whatever is accomplished is dedicated for the benefit of
all beings.

Irene Woodard is Vice Chair of the GreenFaith Board. She is the owner of TrueBlooms—a floral business
which uses seasonal, fresh, local flowers—and one of the founders of The Shambhala Touching the Earth
Collective, the Shambhala Buddhist environmental initiative.

Zen Verses for Environmental Practice (by Robert Aitken Rōshi)In celebration of Earth Day, One Earth Sangha offers this pure blessing ofcontemplation, gratitude and intention from the late Zen teacher Robert Aitken
Rōshi. May it offer inspiration for your own responsive relationship with ourmagnificent home.

SACRED SEASON RESOURCE COLLECTION

Christian
Today, we must place resistance to climate change at the core of our Christian faiths.
Our faith demands kindness. But it also demands good works. A prayer for our earth is not enough.
Calling for healing is not enough. To be Christian is to dedicate your life to building a world full oflove, even if that means resisting those who would destroy it.
The Bible teaches us that God has placed creation in our hands, with a responsibility to care for it.
The story of Creation in the book of Genesis tells us that God shapes humanity from the earth itself.
And when we failed to care for the earth and each other, God wiped the Earth clean with a Great
Flood. God promised Noah he would never punish humanity that way again. But it’s up to us to not
do it to ourselves.
If we are to take seriously our Christian faith, we must take seriously the movement to stop climatechange. Jesus taught, healed, and loved the people who were marginalized by the powers of hisday. In the same way, we must take seriously the fight against the fossil fuel companies, banks, andgovernments which are driving this crisis. We must be guided by the Spirit, boldly and faithfully,
working for a better world.We must resist the easy path of quoting the Bible on Sunday andaccepting the destruction of our climate on Monday.
That is why we—as Christians, as believers in Christ’s gospel—must demand an immediate end to
any new oil, coal or gas projects, a phase out of existing fossil fuel projects, and a deep investment
in a rapid and just transition to a clean energy future. These are the steps truly needed, according
to the science of climate change and the teachings of the Bible. No bridge fuels, no temporary
expansions of drilling, no delays. The end of fossil fuels must begin now.
To do less is to break faith—faith with our own neighbors, faith with our children andgrandchildren, and faith in God.

Canticle of the Creatures (by St. Francis of Assisi, from Lucky Oshioke)
This prayer lifts up to God each aspect of creation and all the beings in it,
praising God for the infinite creativity, diversity, and beauty of creation.

Lucky Oshioke is a GreenFaith Circle Leader in the Numan community in Nigeria, working to promote theidea of Sacred People, Sacred Earth.

Devotional: A Grounded Faith (for Lent) (by Cherice Bock and friends)
Created in conjunction with EcoFaith Recovery and Eloheh Indigenous Center
for Earth Justice, this devotional is an invitation to participate in world-healing
practices that are faithful to the One who showed us the way out of the tomband into abundant life. It’s meant to be read alongside Randy Woodley’s
Becoming Rooted: 100 Days of Reconnecting with Sacred Earth.
Cherice Bock is adjunct professor of ecotheology at Portland Seminary, and she leads Oregon InterfaithPower & Light at Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon. Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO) is a statewide
coalition of denominations, congregations, and faith-based organizations working together to meet
immediate needs and advocate for policies that will lead toward a more just and sustainable future. One
project of EMO is Oregon Interfaith Power and Light (OIPL), which organizes people of faith across the

SACRED SEASON RESOURCE COLLECTION
state on climate justice in the areas of practical life changes, education, worship and ministry, events,
activism, and advocacy. We host a statewide Green Circle.

Devotional: Creation Care Lenten Sourcebook (from Michigan Great Lakes Creation
Care Collaborative (UCC))
A Lenten Source Book linking worship, spiritual practice, and action insolidarity with God's good earth.
EarthCare Guidelines (from Joanna Oltman Smith and the New York Religious
Society of Friends (Quakers))
This statement proposes a covenant for living in harmony with creation andwith God for the goal of mutual flourishing.
Joanna Oltman Smith attends the Brooklyn Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends.

Easter Prayer Ritual (by Rev. Miguel Salanic)
This Easter prayer and candle-lighting ritual grounds us where we are androots our Resurrection celebration in the thematic of creation care.

Miguel Salanic is a Mayan Kiche Indian. Priest Anglican Episcopal Church in Guatemala. Vice-Presidentof the Latin American Ecumenical Articulation of Indigenous Pastoral AELAPI. Last Continental
Coordinator of the Indigenous Pastoral of the Latin American Council of Churches CLAI.

Essay: Eco-Theology in the Biblical Tradition (by Rabbi Arthur Ocean Waskow,
Ph.D.)
This essay describes an Earth-centered theology rooted in the tradition of the
Hebrew Scriptures.
Arthur Ocean Waskow is an American author, political activist, and rabbi associated with the Jewish
Renewal movement.

Hymn: All the Earth Belongs to God (An Environmental Justice Hymn) (byAmanda Udis-Kessler)
Based on Psalm 24:1 and Matthew 6:10, this hymn praises God for creation andinvokes our conviction to care for and tend it for mutual flourishing.
Amanda Udis-Kessler is a hymnwriter and progressive worship music composer; access her free-use,
no-licensing music at https://queersacredmusic.com.

Lesson: Creation Care (by Alexandra Holland)This small-group lesson explores creation care through Scripture and group
discussion.
Liturgy: A Great Thanksgiving Based on Psalm 8 (by Lisl Paul)This Communion liturgy draws on the creation imagery of Psalm 8 to connect
our practice of the Eucharist to our relationship with the whole creation.
Rev. Dr. Lisl Paul is Assistant Director of Field Education at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, aprogressive United Methodist theological school in Evanston, Illinois, USA.

SACRED SEASON RESOURCE COLLECTION
Liturgy: Confession and Lament for Creation (by Rev. Allyson Sawtell)This liturgy invokes our lament of ecocide, confesses our part in it, and renews
our commitment to care for each part of creation.
Rev. Allyson Sawtell is a retired United Church of Christ pastor and artivist living in Denver, Colorado whowrites poetry and liturgy primarily around environmental healing and justice.

Prayer Based on Jeremiah 31:15 (by Aric Clark)
This prayer laments the active instances of ecocide and ecological degradation
happening on this Earth today and thus calls us to engage in healing as part ofour faithful practice.
Rev. Aric Clark is a PCUSA minister and activist in Portland, Oregon.

Reflection: An Ecological Examination of Conscience (by Franciscan writers Ilia
Delio, Keith Douglas Warner, and Pamela Wood, via Richard Rohr)This video and its accompanying devotion prompt us to contemplate the ways
in which we have lived in disharmony with creation, and ask for the strengthand the wisdom to learn to live with integrity within the web of creation.
Reflection on Interconnectedness (by Kathleen and Annette Fernholz)This Laudato Si’ based reflection relates our interconnectedness with one
another and God through all the eons of creation, and how this calls us to carefor creation today.

Annette and Kathleen Fernholz are both blood sisters and School Sisters of Notre Dame at Earthrise Farmin Western Minnesota. Earth spirituality is a great part of their ministry.

Ritual for Ash Wednesday (by Kathleen and Annette Fernholz)This fire-based ritual for Ash Wednesday grounds Christian practice for the
beginning of Lent in an embodied activity, reflecting on the power and energyof the flame and the Spirit.

Annette and Kathleen Fernholz are both blood sisters and School Sisters of Notre Dame at Earthrise Farmin Western Minnesota. Earth spirituality is a great part of their ministry.

Song: Is This How the World Ends? (by The Many)
This song laments the destruction of ecocide and moves us to prayer andaction to love all creation as God does. Sheet music in original key and higher.
The Many is an uncommon, intentionally diverse collective making music for people to sing together
about peace and justice and a world where all belong. Learn more at pluralguild.com.

Video: Trailside Body Prayer (from Aram Mitchell, printed in Rooted and Rising)This embodied prayer practice grounds us in the place we are standing on
Earth, in our breath and bodies, and in our call to care for the people andcreation around us.
Aram Mitchell is Director of Partnerships and Formation at The BTS Center. The BTS Center seeks tocatalyze spiritual imagination, with enduring wisdom, for transformative faith leadership by offering

SACRED SEASON RESOURCE COLLECTION
theologically grounded programs of continuing education and spiritual formation. Their focus is on
spiritual leadership for a climate-changed world.

Study Guide: Climate Change: Do My Choices Matter? (by JustFaith Ministries)
This group study curriculum provides tools to reflect on individual vs. systemic
actions in the face of climate change and grounds Christians in pursuit ofclimate justice.

JustFaith Ministries is a U.S.-based nonprofit that creates transformative programs that inspire action toaddress the root causes of injustice, while serving with love. Other climate-focused resources are available
here.

Earth Day
Sayings on Nature from Different Religions (by Earth Day Network India)
This e-book focuses on the sacred sayings from a variety of religious about
reverence for nature.
Earth Day India is a registered trust.

Weathering the Storm: 2022 Earth Day Resource (by Creation Justice Ministries)
Each year, Creation Justice Ministries offers Christian education materials toequip faith communities to protect, restore, and more rightly share God's
creation. The 2022 theme is "Weathering the Storm" and focuses on faithful
climate resilience and action.

Creation Justice Ministries (formerly the National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Program) represents
the creation care and environmental justice policies of major Christian denominations throughout theUnited States. We work in cooperation with 38 national faith bodies including Protestant denominations
and Orthodox communions as well as regional faith groups, and congregants to protect and restore God's
Creation.

SACRED SEASON RESOURCE COLLECTION

Hindu
Today, we must place resistance to climate change at the core of our Hindu faith and practice.
A prayer for our earth is not enough. Calling for healing is not enough. Our faith demands werespect others. But it also demands that we seek dharma—it demands we take right action. The
core of Hindu life is our sense of duty, to our families, to our communities, and to God. Duty does notallow for comfortable silence.
Hindus recognize the earth itself as one of the faces of God. Many of us begin our day with a prayer
to the Goddess of all, Mahadevi, for allowing us to walk upon her surface with our feet. We knowthat all of creation is an aspect of the divine, all of it is connected. That is why the Vedas tell us“Vruksho Rakshathi Rakshithaha”-- meaning “The trees protect you if you protect them.” The coreteaching of all of our epics, from the Ramayana to the Mahabharata, is that we must take such
responsibility seriously. We must take the action we know to be right, even when it is hard.
If we are to take seriously our Hindu faith, we must take the struggle for climate justice seriously.
We must take seriously the fight against the fossil fuel companies, banks, and governments which
are driving this crisis. We must resist the easy path of praying for Devi’s blessings in the morning,
and then accepting her destruction in the afternoon.
That is why we—as Hindus—must demand an immediate end to any new oil, coal or gas projects, aphase out of existing fossil fuel projects, and a deep investment in a rapid and just transition to aclean energy future. These are the steps truly needed, according to the science of climate change
and the teachings of our faith. No bridge fuels, no temporary expansions of drilling, no delays. The
end of fossil fuels must begin now.
To do less is to break faith—faith with our own neighbors, faith with our children andgrandchildren, and faith in Devi herself.

EcoHoli (by Dr. Pankaj Jain)
This reflection connects the colorful and life-giving Hindu celebration of Holi,
and its mythology, with the call for humanity to better care for its earthly home
and all its beings.
Dr. Pankaj Jain is a professor of Philosophy, Religious Studies, Film Studies, Sustainability, and Diaspora
Studies. He has authored three books and has co-edited the Hinduism Section of the Encyclopedia ofIndian Religions. His articles have appeared in multiple academic journals and popular websites.

Essay: Dharma of Sustainability, Sustainability of Dharma: A Hindu Energy Ethics(by Dr. Pankaj Jain)
This essay relates the Hindu concept of Dharma with the work of climate careand sustainability, illuminating contextual and political struggles foreco-justice via Hindu teachings.
Dr. Pankaj Jain is a professor of Philosophy, Religious Studies, Film Studies, Sustainability, and Diaspora
Studies. He has authored three books and has co-edited the Hinduism Section of the Encyclopedia ofIndian Religions. His articles have appeared in multiple academic journals and popular websites.

SACRED SEASON RESOURCE COLLECTION

Interfaith/Spiritual
Today, we must fight for climate justice at the core of our spiritual practices.
A prayer for our earth is not enough. Hoping for healing is not enough. An awareness of thespiritual world is an awareness of bigger than material wealth and human politics.We haveobligations to that world, and to our communities.
If we intend to live out our spiritual beliefs, we must take seriously the fight against the causes anddrivers of climate change: we must take the fight against the fossil fuel companies, banks, andgovernments who are profiting from this crisis. We must resist the tendency to detach from theseconcerns; and instead must speak and act for the protection of the world and all people.
preservation of our climate and our civilization.
We must demand an immediate end to any new oil, coal or gas projects, a phase out of existingfossil fuel projects, and a deep investment in a rapid and just transition to a clean energy future.
These are the steps truly needed, according to the science of climate change and the teachings ofour faith. No bridge fuels, no temporary expansions of drilling, no delays. The end of fossil fuelsmust begin now.
To do less is to break faith—faith with our own neighbors, faith with our children andgrandchildren, and with the world.

An Ecological Examination of Conscience (by Franciscan writers Ilio Delio, Keith
Douglas Warner, and Pamela Wood, via Richard Rohr)This video and its accompanying devotion prompt us to contemplate the ways
in which we have lived in disharmony with creation, and ask for the strengthand the wisdom to learn to live with integrity within the web of creation.
Eco-Beatitudes (by enfleshed)
This new take on the Christian Scriptures’ Beatitudes implicates humanity inthe hurting and healing of creation and calls us to greater care for Earth.
enfleshed seeks to create and facilitate “spiritual nourishment for collective liberation.”

Message from the Future II: The Years of Repair Video (by The Intercept & The
Leap)
A hopeful video imagining a just transition towards a world with racial,economic, and ecological justice where no one is sacrificed and everyone isessential.
Looking for the Mother Tree Video (by Suzanne Simard & The Long Now
Foundation)
Forest Ecologist Suzanne Simard shares ecological research on the incredibleinterdependence of trees, driving a call for more sustainable practices inSACRED SEASON RESOURCE COLLECTION
forestry and land management, ones that develop strategies based on the forest
as a whole entity, not on trees as isolated individuals.
Sacred Texts & The Environment (by Meryne Warah)
This document highlights the places in various sacred texts where humans arecalled to care for creation.
Meryne Warah is GreenFaith’s Global Organizing Director. Based in Nairobi, Kenya, she has worked with
the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance where she coordinated climate justice policy advocacy in eight
African countries, and the Interreligious Council of Kenya, where she served as Programme Officer for
Gender, Environment and Climate Change.

Santa Soaked Storytelling Project (by Carl Lindemann)
Santa Soaked is a non-commercial project that uses our natural gifts forstorytelling to energize the rising global movement for an all-in, all-out
mobilization to confront the climate crisis. It's a lightning rod that channels
climate anxiety into action!
Sayings on Nature from Different Religions (by Earth Day Network India)
This e-book focuses on the sacred sayings from a variety of religious about
reverence for nature.
Earth Day India is a registered trust.

Song: Is This How the World Ends? (by The Many)
This song laments the destruction of ecocide and moves us to prayer andaction to love all creation as God does. Sheet music in original key and a higher
key.
The Many is an uncommon, intentionally diverse collective making music for people to sing together
about peace and justice and a world where all belong.

Unity EarthCare Statement and Prayer (from Cylvia Hayes, by Unity Worldwide
Ministries EarthCare Team)
This statement and prayer affirms the work of spiritual people to end thedesecration of the Earth and to work together for her healing and renewal. The
prayer offers a twist on the traditional Lord’s Prayer, addressing Mother Earthand praying for forgiveness and revitalization.

The purpose of the Unity Worldwide Ministries EarthCare Ministry Team is to support Unity Worldwide
Ministries in fostering the awareness of our spiritual oneness with our Earth home and to promote active
care of creation.

World Visions of Resilience (from David Millar)
A compilation of world visions of resilience: if the major problems were solved,
what would our world look like?

SACRED SEASON RESOURCE COLLECTION

JewishToday, we must place resistance to climate change at the core of our Jewish faith.
A prayer for our earth is not enough. Calling for healing is not enough. Our faith demands kindness.
But it also demands that we resist injustice and work to end oppression. And what is the story of
the Jewish people if not a story of resistance and a struggle against oppression?
The Torah teaches us that our connection to the Earth is sacred. Humanity is first shaped from theearth itself by God’s hand. Our earliest prophets were shepherds and farmers who understood
deeply their responsibility to care for the divine gift of creation. They remembered that thepunishment for our early sins was a Great Flood. God promised Noah he would never punish
humanity that way again. But God never promised to stop us from doing it to ourselves. That’s up tous.
If we are to take seriously our Jewish faith, we must take seriously the fight against climatechange. We must take seriously the fight against the fossil fuel companies, banks, andgovernments which are driving this crisis. We must resist the easy path of quoting the Torah on
Saturday and accepting the destruction of our climate on Sunday.
That is why we—as Jews, as a chosen people of God—must demand an immediate end to any newoil, coal or gas projects, a phase out of existing fossil fuel projects, and a deep investment in a rapid
and just transition to a clean energy future. These are the steps truly needed, according to thescience of climate change and the teachings of the Torah and the Talmud. No bridge fuels, no
temporary expansions of drilling, no delays. The end of fossil fuels must begin now.
To do less is to break faith—faith with our own neighbors, faith with our children andgrandchildren, and faith in God.

All Our Might (by Dayenu)
We publicly proclaim today’s fossil-fueled plagues, and lift up matzah as asymbol of urgency, calling on these financial institutions to move their dough.
It is long past time for them to honor their commitments and stop funding
fossil fuels. Only then can we leave the polluting past behind and movetowards a just and livable future.
Dayenu’s mission is to secure a just, livable and sustainable world for all people for generations to come bybuilding a multi-generational Jewish movement that confronts the climate crisis with spiritual audacityand bold political action.

Eco-Theology in the Biblical Tradition Essay (by Rabbi Arthur Ocean Waskow,
Ph.D.)
This essay describes an Earth-centered theology rooted in the tradition of the
Hebrew Scriptures.
Arthur Ocean Waskow is an American author, political activist, and rabbi associated with the Jewish
Renewal movement.

Earth & Justice Freedom Seder (by The Shalom Center)

SACRED SEASON RESOURCE COLLECTION
This haggadah is meant first of all for use in public, nonviolent demonstrations,demanding that the Carbon Pharaohs stop lending money to any aspect of theFossil Fuel industry. It can also be used in home or congregational Seders
during Pesach.
Earth Justice Seder: The Passover Haggadah for Environmental Justice (byReligious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Interfaith Power and Light, and
COEJL)
This Haggadah insists that we experience continuity with generations thatexperienced the Exodus in the past. The climate crisis asks us to feel a sense of
personal connection and responsibility with generations in the future.
Enough! Dayenu! For This and Every Year! (by Dr. Barbara Breitman)
This resource is from the Earth and Justice Freedom Seder.
Dr. Barbara Breitman is a psychotherapist and spiritual director who co-founded Lev Shomea, the Jewish
spiritual direction training program. She is co-director of the Spiritual Direction program of theReconstructionist Rabbinical College, and retired professor of pastoral care at RRC.

Essay: MLK Jr. and Environmental Justice: Embodying the Tree of Knowledge in
the Tree of Life (by Dr. Cara Judea Alhadeff)This essay connects the work and vision of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
with our contemporary work of climate justice in light of the Jewish traditionof Tu B’Shevat: “The New Year of the Trees.”
As a frontline community organizer, author, photographer, and Professor of Cross-Cultural & Interfaith
Environmental Justice, Dr. Cara Judea Alhadeff offers models for intersectional transformative action:
how to live our interconnectedness with integrity and creativity.

Essay: Sacred Attune: Shmita as Cultural Biomimicry (by Dr. Cara Judea Alhadeff)This written and visual reflection on the Shmita, or Sabbath year, proposes atime of radical rest that benefits both our spiritual and physical healing and thehealing of creation.
As a frontline community organizer, author, photographer, and Professor of Cross-Cultural & Interfaith
Environmental Justice, Dr. Cara Judea Alhadeff offers models for intersectional transformative action:
how to live our interconnectedness with integrity and creativity.
Exodus Alliance

Passover Reflection Resource (from Dayenu, by Rabbi Laura Bellows)This Passover Reflection Resource focuses on Yirah: Just as our ancient
Israelite ancestors needed physical as well as spiritual resources to embark
and sustain them on their journey, so too must we draw on and nourish ourwhole selves in the work for a just, livable, and liberated future. This reflection
exercise - which works for individuals and groups alike - invites us toreconnect with yirah's aspect of wonder and awe. Making space for reflection

SACRED SEASON RESOURCE COLLECTION
and connection can sustain and catalyze our commitment to meaningfulaction for climate justice and other critical issues of our time.
Play: Esther and the Beached Boys: A Climate Change Purimshpiel (story andlyrics by Rabbi Daniel Swartz)
This entertaining musical puts a climate-change spin on the traditional
Purimshpiel, re-interpreting the Book of Esther for a time of Carbon Pharaohs
and increasing ecological crises. The link above contains a Dropbox folder witheverything needed to put it on: full script, lyric sheets for people to sing along
with, staging directions, action follow ups, an editable poster, and more.
​ Rabbi Daniel Swartz serves as the executive director of the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life,
which has worked for the past 25 years to engage the Jewish community in the sacred work of theprotection of the planet and the poor, and as the spiritual leader of Temple Hesed of Scranton.

SACRED SEASON RESOURCE COLLECTION

MuslimToday, we must place resistance to climate change at the core of our Islamic faith.
A prayer for our earth is not enough. Calling for healing is not enough. Our faith demands goodintentions and actions. But it also demands that we sacrifice comfort to show our devotion. We
must be prepared to sacrifice the comfort of silence. We must be prepared to speak the truth.
The Qur’an tells us that God created us from earth and settled us upon it so that we might cultivate
the earth. It tells us that we are appointed as the guardians upon the earth, and we are responsiblefor it. And we are reminded that while God is infinite, the earth and its ability to sustain is not. That
is why we fast, that is why we follow God’s commandments to give up food, drink, and comfort.
Taking from the earth without limit is a sin. God commands restraint.
There is a clear call for action to protect the environment and to fight against climate change in our
Islamic faith. And we must take seriously the need to take real action, and to take it now. The
Qur’an calls us to recognize that God established the natural world in a life-sustaining balance
which we should both respect and protect. The Qur’an also recognizes that people are responsible
for all forms of human wrongdoing, including which affects the land, sea, and air. To integrate suchvalues into our personal lives, more and more Muslim try to change their own personal
consumption habits to walk more lightly on earth. And while personal behavior change is vital, it
is not enough to turn the tide. Governments, financial institutions, and corporations have massive
power over the environment. And the massive gap between what is required to limit global
catastrophe and the actual commitment is deeply alarming.
That is why, as Muslims, we must demand an immediate end to any new oil, coal or gas projects, aphase out of existing fossil fuel projects, and a deep investment in a rapid and just transition to aclean energy future.
To do less is to allow injustice, oppression, and violation of the rights of our One and only Creatorand that of other human beings.

Green Friday Khutbah in Arabic
A Khutbah on Islam, the environment, and climate change.
Green Masjid Rubric (from Islamic Society of North America)
This Rubric allows you to assess your actions at home or at the Masjid to see
how “green” they are. Track your progress on this document as part of yourRamadan Ibadah.
Essay: Green Ramadan (by Nana Firman & ISNA Green Initiative Team)
This essay provides tips for how to “green” your Ramadan celebrations. Whileconsuming less and conserving our resources, let’s focus more on our own

SACRED SEASON RESOURCE COLLECTION
spiritual development and contributing to the larger social good and to climate
justice!
Nana Firman is GreenFaith’s Senior Ambassador. An Indonesian, she directed WWF-Indonesia’s “Green
Reconstruction” efforts during a post-tsunami period and developed an urban climate change adaptationand mitigation initiative. An internationally recognized speaker, she is one of 20 Earth Defenders featured
in One Earth: People of Color Protecting Our Planet.

Our Earth: Embracing All Communities (by Salma Arastu)
This beautiful collection of original artwork is inspired by this verse of the
Quran: “There is not an animal in the earth, nor a flying creature flying on two
wings, but they are communities like you.” Understanding this verse served asa Divine invitation to follow the concerns of ecologists in our present times.

Ramadan Reflection (by Kholida Annisa)
This reflection draws on the teachings of Islam to call people of faith to actionin order to bring about a vision of heaven on Earth where the climate has been
restored. Kholida suggests concrete actions to reduce our impact on the climate
during Ramadan.
Kholida Annisa is a young Muslim woman who is a member of Muhammadiyah Student Association(Ikatan Pelajar Muhammadiyah) in Indonesia. She lives in Martapura, South Kalimantan, where she
experiences first hand climate impacts.

Spiritual Reflection (by Nana Firman)
This reflection explores the attainment of God-consciousness and how ourRamadan fast must include lessening our environmental impact.

Nana Firman is GreenFaith’s Senior Ambassador. An Indonesian, she directed WWF-Indonesia’s “Green
Reconstruction” efforts during a post-tsunami period and developed an urban climate change adaptationand mitigation initiative. An internationally recognized speaker, she is one of 20 Earth Defenders featured
in One Earth: People of Color Protecting Our Planet.

SACRED SEASON RESOURCE COLLECTION
Talk: Islamic Teachings and Climate Justice (by Imam Saffet Catovic andFaithfully Sustainable)
This talk is from our Faithfully Sustainable Ramadan Webinar where Imam
Saffet Catovic discusses climate justice in relation to Islamic teachings andhow we can be sustainable Muslims by following the teachings of the Prophet(PBUH) during the sacred month of Ramadan.
Faithfully Sustainable is an environmental justice community and resource hub led by young Black and
Brown Muslims.

Sacred Season Synopsis (by Nana Firman)
This document aligns Muslim practices and teachings from the Qur’an with
our interaction with the environment.
Nana Firman is GreenFaith’s Senior Ambassador. An Indonesian, she directed WWF-Indonesia’s “Green
Reconstruction” efforts during a post-tsunami period and developed an urban climate change adaptationand mitigation initiative. An internationally recognized speaker, she is one of 20 Earth Defenders featured
in One Earth: People of Color Protecting Our Planet.

Sample Green Khutbah (by Muaz Nasir, from Khaleafa.com)
This is a sample Khutbah calling for participation in the Green Khutbah
campaign: “We need to return to our sacred sources, the Qur’an and Prophetic
traditions, as well as the example of our righteous predecessors, to re-calibrate
our relationship to the Earth, its environment and all of Allah’s Creation.”

SACRED SEASON RESOURCE COLLECTION

ShintoShintođFaithđStatementđonđtheđEnvironment

This statement explores Shinto understandings of environmentalism. It calls
for care of the earth based on the belief that all land and ecology is divine. It
calls us back to awe and reverence for the earth and for the teachers of those
who have gone before for a better stance towards environmentalism.
Green Shinto (by John Dougill)
This blog, operating out of Kyoto, Japan, is dedicated to the promotion of an
open, international and environmental Shinto. It seeks to celebrate the richheritage of the tradition, from sacred rocks and shamanistic roots to bawdy
myths and fertility festivals. It believes Shinto to be essentially diverse,
localized and community oriented. It looks to a Shinto free of borders, liberated
from its past to meet the demands of a new age—one that is green in deed aswell as in word.
Shinto Meditations for Revering the Earth (by Stuart D.B. Picken)
These devotions inspired by ancient Shinto rituals are a series ofcalls-and-response that directly address the awesome power of the natural
world to heal and restore the soul. Readers are invited to stand before rivers,
stones, and trees, to listen to thunder, and to be touched by the wind and rain inorder to cultivate a spirit of reverence for Nature and awaken the cosmic
content within the human.