A common Enemy Unites Even the Oldest of Foes...

Though the emergence of a conservative Christian voice on behalf of the environment seemed unlikely only a decade ago, it seems like another step towards a broader agenda for evangelicals has been taken. Though more work must be done before the Christian effort could be classified as a grassroots movement, progress has been made in a top down fashion in churches in the 21st century. Now churches as close as Ann Arbor Michigan, and as far as Utah, and Washington, the voices of evangelical leaders have encouraged visible change in both the physical make up of churches, or in the minds and lifestyles of church members, changes are being made. As nearly 80 churches in the state of Michigan alone have signed agreements and implemented plans to become more environmentally friendly.

For example, in March, during Holy week, Churches bought eco-palms, or branches from palm trees that are extracted in more environmentally friendly ways to help make sure that the plant survives. Though the branches are significantly more expensive, churches were willing to pay the price to ensure that they were not promoting holy week at the expense of wildlife in Mexico.

The title of this entry, "A Common Enemy Unites Even the Oldest of Foes" comes from the second Disney Chronicles of Narnia movie. The statement is a powerful one I think because it is so true. When a new universal adversary arises, it becomes the responsibility of all to respond to it. In the modern world the universal adversary is a growing environmental crisis. There are many empty seats around the strategic planning table for environmental issues. I'm proud to say evangelicals are staking a claim on their seat.