By Rev. Dr. Amanda Riley
As Christians, we know the power of good news. The Presbyterian Church, where I serve as Parish Associate, has chosen this theme for the season of Lent: “Tell me something good.” We know that good news can change our outlook on life, and, in the case of the Gospel, can change our lives. When it comes to climate change, good news seems few and far between. So, as the Lead Pastor of the Garden Church, I actively seek out good news climate stories, and they are out there. One of the reasons good news is important is that it can serve as an antidote to a consistent diet of bad news. If we only, or mostly, hear bad news, it can overwhelm and leave us feeling frozen, unable to act, or move forward. Worse, it can make us apathetic to issues of faith and a life of useful service, which we hold dear. Enter the power of good news.
Nearly a year ago, a group of artists approached members of the Garden Church about a possible art installation. Their inspiration: the story of the brown pelican. The brown pelican long soared over the shores of Southern California from the Channel Islands to San Pedro. In 1970, the brown pelican was added to the federal endangered species list due to a significant drop in numbers from the use of pesticides. Thanks to human intervention and conservation efforts, in 2009, the brown pelican was removed from the endangered species list. With this story of hope for God’s creation in mind, a group of artists from “Beyond LA Art” decided to bring the return of the brown pelican to life.
As the artists looked around San Pedro, they discovered our garden and told us that the blue sky above our garden, tucked between two city buildings, was the perfect canvas for their project. And so with support from our Garden Church volunteers, the artists were able to install the brown pelican project. They named the project “Above and Beyond,” calling the story of the brown pelican a story of hope.
In honor of Earth Day, I wanted to share this story with you and encourage you to find your own good creation news. As we find and share creation good news, may we be inspired to continue to resist the pull of accepting climate change as a foregone conclusion and instead feel moved to resist.
Read the full issue of the April Messenger.
Meet Rev. Dr. Amanda Riley
Rev. Dr. Amanda Riley has served numerous Presbyterian churches and is pastor at The Garden Church. She fell in love with the vision, work, and mission of the church and became involved in 2016.
