Autumn Hepler

SLA 400 45

Dear Pope Francis,

            Your words spoken through the Preface of Laudato Si spoke to my spirit bringing
conviction to my soul. As a fellow believer, I know that we are called to be rulers over
this earth. I also know that while this world is our temporary home, we have a certain
responsibility to care for what we have been given. Right from the beginning you help us
to understand how the world is crying out because of all the harm we have done by
being irresponsible. We as humans have been in an abusive relationship with the earth
and we are the abusers. This was an eye opener to me.
            In Chapter Two “The light offered by faith”, you made a point to call out the body
of believers which I can appreciate. You stated, “If the simple fact of being human moves
people to care for the environment of which they are a part, Christians in their turn
“realize that their responsibility within creation, and their duty towards nature and the
Creator, are an essential part of their faith”.[36] It is good for humanity and the world at
large when we believers better recognize the ecological commitments which stem from
our convictions” (Laudato si' (24 May 2015): Francis 2015). You are reminding the
church, the body of Christ, that we are lacking at fulfilling our duty of caring for God’s
creation. We as the church focus on the condition of someone’s heart and their salvation
which is critical, but we need to remember that we are also called for more. We need to
remember that by caring for God’s creation, we are ensuring a better future for the next
generation. We do not know when our last day will be on this earth, and we cannot
allow our actions towards the environment to take a backseat.
            I want to thank you for being bold enough to write this encyclical. I want to thank
you for speaking the truth and helping me see the truth. Specifically in America we have
become so spoiled and entitled, Christians included. Our culture has become so self-
fulfilling, impatient, and intolerant to suffering. We have created a culture that lives to
eat, and we customize every little thing we do to the point where we have become
extremely wasteful. We have become so consumed with a fast-paced life where we
work more than ever that we look for things for temporary fulfillment at a convenience.
As I type these words, I put myself at the front of the line knowing I am part of the
problem. While I recognize that this is God’s creation and I try to appreciate it as such, I
realize my behaviors and choices in basic life moments are not helping the environment.
The bible instructs us to renew our minds continually (Romans 12: 1-2) and I know that
this means I need to do this not only for my spiritual health, but also as my duty to do my
part while on this earth for the world.
            As Greta Thunberg stated, “The world is waking up and change is coming whether
you like it or not.” I do not want to be a part of the problem anymore. I want to be a part
of the solution! In the video Our Planet: Our Business, we learned that 47% of millennials
believe that the purpose of business should be to help society and care for the
environment. Hearing this gives me great hope that we are moving in the right direction
with future generations. But I must ask, will it be too late? While I know God is
ultimately in control, that does not give us a free pass and we will have to answer for
everything we have done with what we have been given. What I love the most about the
visible earth located on NASA’s home page is that we are starting to put our reality in
the forefront making it accessible to see at any moment what is truly happening in the
world from an environmental perspective. I believe this is key as it is so easy to retract
and go into false realities of television, movies, and social media and putting blinders on
to the truth. Making the world more aware of the condition of the world is surely a step
in the right direction.
 
Kindest regards,
Autumn Hepler