173. Creation Groans | Living with Grief, Living with Hope
Jun 6, 2024
auto_awesome
Nate Rao Beery, an advocate for climate action, joins fellow guests Heather McTeer Toney, a climate justice leader, Marinel Ubaldo, shaped by Typhoon Haiyan, and Hannah Malcolm, a curate exploring climate grief. They delve into the emotional toll of the climate crisis, emphasizing how community, faith, and shared experiences can transform grief into activism. The conversation highlights the importance of communal practices in navigating feelings of despair while fostering hope for a sustainable future, urging collective action and recognition of intertwined ecological and spiritual struggles.
Acknowledging and sharing grief regarding the climate crisis can transform despair into collective hope and action.
Community support, especially through faith practices, plays a vital role in navigating eco-anxiety and fostering resilience.
Deep dives
Emotional Responses to Climate Crisis
The podcast highlights the diverse emotional responses individuals experience when confronting the climate crisis, emphasizing that these reactions vary widely based on personal experiences. Guests share their encounters with eco-anxiety and grief, illustrating that not everyone has the luxury of a distant concern; some live daily with the realities of climate disasters. For instance, Marinel Ubaldo recounts her personal trauma from Super Typhoon Haiyan, which devastated her community, showcasing the profound and immediate impacts of climate change. The discussion underscores the importance of acknowledging these emotions rather than dismissing them, encouraging listeners to understand that grappling with such feelings is a valid and communal part of living in a world increasingly marked by ecological loss.
The Role of Community and Faith
The episode explores how community and faith can provide crucial support in navigating the emotional landscape created by climate grief. By emphasizing the significance of communal lament, prayer, and shared responsibility, participants stress that environmental grief should not be faced alone. Guests like Melinda Berry point out that engaging in church practices can help individuals channel their feelings of sorrow into constructive actions that cultivate hope and resilience. Additionally, the speakers advocate for creating communal spaces where individuals can share their grief and find strength in collective narratives, reinforcing the idea that caring for one another is a fundamental aspect of faith.
Acts of Hope and Action
Practical approaches to transforming grief into action are discussed, encouraging listeners to engage actively with the climate crisis rather than succumbing to despair. Individuals are urged to connect with their surroundings, investigate the root causes of environmental degradation, and respond to injustices with compassion and determination. Heather McTeer-Tony highlights the importance of stepping out of comfort zones to support those most affected by climate issues, advocating for acts of service as a way to honor one's emotions. The message reinforces that hope is not passive; it requires intentional efforts and a commitment to address the profound challenges confronting the planet.
Living with Dual Emotions
The complexity of managing simultaneous feelings of grief and hope is a key theme in the conversation. The guests encourage recognizing that it is possible to experience joy and sadness concurrently, allowing individuals to embrace a spectrum of emotions rather than isolating themselves in negativity. They advocate for grounding practices such as time spent in nature, gratitude, and ritualistic grieving to cultivate resilience and maintain a sense of connection to the earth. By acknowledging the coexistence of despair and beauty in the world, listeners are reminded of the strength found in community and the shared responsibility to care for creation amid challenging times.
The climate crisis often leads people to feelings of grief, despair, and fear. With the of help faith leaders, climate activists, artists and teachers from around the world we explore some of the emotions that result from an awareness of the climate crisis. And consider how naming and accepting the grief and sorrow that many people are feeling can also be a path toward hope.
Featured guests: Heather McTeer Toney, Marinel Ubaldo, Madeleine Jubilee Saito, Dr. Malinda Berry, Hannah Malcolm, Robynn Bliss, and Lowell Bliss. And thanks to Nangula Kathindi and Christopher Douglas Huriwai for their recorded testimonials, used in the episode. Check out the link here to find more resources from these guests.
Check out more BioLogos resources on creation care and the environment here.
Theme song and credits music by Breakmaster Cylinder. Other music in this episode by Ballian De Moulle, Robert Meunier, Kyle Booth, Sirus Music, Justin Breame, & MS Elyas, courtesy of Shutterstock, Inc.
Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.
Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts
Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.
