Black Lives Matter.
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

NC Council of Churches

Strength in Unity, Peace through Justice

  • Voices
  • About
    • Overview
    • Staff
    • Members
    • Covenant Partners
    • Issue Statements
    • Governing Board
  • Programs
    • Ecumenical Immigration Alliance
      • Ideas for Action
      • Sign Our Statement
      • The NC Sanctuary Coalition
      • Immigration Bible Study
      • Contact
    • NC Interfaith Power & Light
      • NCIPL Overview
      • Faith in Action NCIPL
      • NCIPL Articles
      • NCIPL Resources
      • Upcoming Events for NCIPL
      • Contact NCIPL
    • Partners in Health & Wholeness
      • PHW Staff
      • Mini-Grants
      • PHW Collaborative Pledge
      • The Overdose Crisis: The Faith Community Responds
      • PHW Articles
      • FAQs
  • Priorities
    • Racial Justice
    • The Overdose Crisis: The Faith Community Responds
    • Gun Violence Prevention
    • Public Education
    • NC Sanctuary Coalition
    • Farmworkers
    • Legislative Advocacy
    • Christian Unity
    • Peace
    • NC No Torture
  • COVID-19 Resources
  • Events
  • Resources
    • Publications & Reports
    • Raleigh Report
    • Lectionary
    • Sermons
  • Donate
  • Council Store
  • Show Search

Search NC Council of Churches

Hide Search

Drop Everything and Go

Kathy Shea, Former Senior Advisor - NCIPL · August 7, 2012 · 1 Comment

I had a scare last month. My husband and I returned home on our 31st anniversary date to a telephone message from my older sister – my father had been taken to the emergency room with symptoms of stroke. Of course I called immediately and spent the next 14 hours on the phone and internet sorting through what was wrong with him and whether or not I needed to join my sister at his bedside on an emergency basis. Of course there was no question – if I was needed I would go. I rushed around between phone calls getting the house ready for me to leave, packing a bag, and making the necessary preliminary arrangements with airlines and dog sitters. Luckily, after a dramatic and somewhat scary night in the hospital, the doctors discovered a simple infection, got my father on the right medication, and he improved dramatically.

My father’s 91st  birthday was five days later. He was back home celebrating with my sister and his beloved companion. At  91, we know the next event could be devastating. Every opportunity to nurture and love my father, I embrace, despite the 3000 mile distance between us. When the next crisis comes, I will be equally prepared to drop everything and go to his side to offer whatever help or comfort I can. It’s just what I want to do.

I think most of us have had this same experience with a parent, a child, a sister or brother, a beloved spouse or friend. It doesn’t matter if it’s inconvenient, if we miss a critical meeting at work or a long-planned outing. When there is a health crisis, we drop everything and go.

As I was working through this event with my family, and in the relieved aftermath, I could not help but think of the current state of the Earth. The climate I was born into is no more. The Earth I live on is different now; it is struggling. Ecosystems are collapsing. The oceans are acidifying. Species are becoming extinct. Glaciers are melting. Wild fires are raging. Water and food insecurity are growing. Island nations are relocating. It is a health emergency on a planetary scale – for the Earth and for humans who depend upon the Earth.

Why, I ask, do we as a species not behave as we would as individuals if a loved one needed us? Why don’t we drop everything and rush to aid, nurture and love our Earth-home back to a stable place? Should we not willingly stop our “business as usual” to make the changes that would bring nurture, love and healing to our world? That is what we all want to do for our loved ones.

Today, one of our greatest prophets, James Hansen, and his group will publish a paper which clearly demonstrates that climate change is causing all the extremes we are hearing reported in the news. With this sentinel study, he removes all doubt and all excuses for us to turn a blind eye. The 3200+ heat records broken in June 2012 are a result of human- induced warming. Not only is our Earth-home gravely ill, but we have caused the illness. We need to drop everything and go.

As people of faith, we are called to love and service. It is easy when it’s a beloved individual. It is also easy when it is, as it is now, all of creation. We simply have to acknowledge the problem and its urgency and then get busy figuring out how we are going to respond creatively, lovingly, immediately and wholeheartedly. North Carolina Interfaith Power & Light is an organization devoted to facilitating just this kind of change. Join us in this most urgent and critical work.

— Dr. Kathy Shea, Co-Director, NCIPL

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Aging, Environment

Kathy Shea, Former Senior Advisor - NCIPL

About Kathy Shea, Former Senior Advisor - NCIPL

Reader Interactions

More Like This

The Spirituality of Loneliness in Life’s Second Chapter
Senate May Still Vote on Health Care; Please Keep Calling
Revised Health Care Bill, Same Devastating Effects

Comments

  1. AvatarFrank Burns says

    August 7, 2012 at 7:36 pm

    Dr Shea, I’m sorry for your family crisis and am in agreement that we should do everything we can to protect this beautiful world that God has given us. With respect to global warming, I have to disagree as I consider James Hanson a false prophet. In my opinion, he has stopped doing professional science and has moved into advocacy. In this paper, he is attempting to link extreme weather events with global warming.

    A scientist with NOAA, Dr Hoerling stated “This isn’t a serious science paper,” “It’s mainly about perception, as indicated by the paper’s title. Perception is not a science.” . http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/07/science/earth/extreme-heat-is-covering-more-of-the-earth-a-study-says.html?_r=4&smid=tw-share

    Anthony Watts points out the following problems with this paper.
    Anthony comments on the NASA animation by Dr. James Hansen of surface temperature trends from 1955-1999:

    “There are many issues with this presentation. It seems to be a big Cherry Picking exercise.

    1. Note all of the missing southern hemisphere data. There are operating weather stations during his time, but they are excluded from the analysis. Why?

    2. The period chosen, 1955-1999 (in the bell curve animation) leaves out the warmer 1930′s and the cooler 2000′s. Why?

    3. The period from 2000-present has no statistically significant warming. Leaving that period out (of the bell curve animation) biases the presentation.

    4. The period chosen exhibits significant postwar growth, urbanization is not considered.

    5. As for severe weather, Hansen ignores the fact that neither tornadoes nor hurricanes have shown any increase recently. Only smaller tornadoes show an increase, due to reporting bias thanks to easily affordable and accessible technology. NOAA’s SPC reports that July 2012 seems to be at a record low for tornadoes.

    6. My latest results in Watts et al 2012 suggest surface station data may be biased warmer over the last 30 years.”

    http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/08/06/nasas-james-hansens-big-cherry-pick/

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Anonymous comments or comments that target individuals will not be posted (please include your first and last name). All comments must be on topic and respectful. Comments will not be posted until they have been reviewed by a moderator. Comments do not reflect the positions of the NC Council of Churches.

Footer

Contact

NC Council of Churches
27 Horne St.
Raleigh, NC 27607
(919) 828-6501
info@ncchurches.org

Facebook

Partners in Health and Wholeness

Featured

Drop Everything and Go

Latest Tweets

Read or listen to this article from @PNS_News about a new data dashboard in North Carolina that would help local county officials better allocate vaccines to where they're needed most. Follow the link to find out more >> publicnewsservice.or…

Yesterday

It's #WomensHistoryMonth! We are so thankful for the strong and intelligent womxn in our lives. Take some time this month to thank the womxn in your life! Share an appreciation post and tag us! pic.twitter.com/zyXr…

Yesterday

Sign the @afsc_org petition calling on the Biden administration to keep Homestead child detention center in Florida closed! Follow the link to take action >> afsc.org/action/take…

About 2 days ago

Exciting Event! Register now for the screening of the short documentary: "Braided Prayer." The film tells the story of Abraham Jam, an interfaith folk/world music trio making the case that harmony can be even stronger than unity. Featuring @DavidLaMotte >> crowdcast.io/e/85zwf…

About 3 days ago

Recently, the Biden Administration has opened up HealthCare.gov until May 15th to give people who need health insurance a new opportunity to get covered through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace. Make sure to visit now to get covered!

About 3 days ago

Follow @ncchurches

Latest Tweets

#harmreduction is love. twitter.com/HarmRedu…

About 14 hours ago

RT @WakeMed Today marks one year since our state’s first #COVID19 case. #WakeMed staff, visitors and patients observed a #momentofsilence to honor the legacy of those we've lost and reflect on the strength and compassion of every essential worker, patient and family as we begin to heal. pic.twitter.com/E92V…

About 14 hours ago

Dr. Satcher questioned the structures that have upheld health disparities in our communities. By laying the foundation for this work, we can continue taking meaningful action towards promoting a society where we can all thrive. #BlackHistoryMonth @HHSGov @Surgeon_General pic.twitter.com/zrw2…

About 6 days ago

Amen! #MindfulTogether twitter.com/cornerpr…

Last week

RT @MAHECwnc There has never been a better time to quit smoking and vaping. Protect your health by keeping your lungs healthy! #quitlinenc #covid19 #asheville pic.twitter.com/bKlC…

Last week

Follow @healthandfaith

Latest Tweets

RT @greenthechurch Be sure to read Green The Church's COO Kim Noble's op ed, "#EnvironmentalJustice in Focus this #BlackHistoryMonth", in the Texas Metro News! @Kimrenay22 #Austin #DFW #Houston #Texas #SanAntonio #EJ ow.ly/mOtw50DGQnN pic.twitter.com/IPOO…

About 6 days ago

RT @ActionAidUSA To build a truly just, equitable & sustainable world, we need to fight for a new #socialcontract. That means: ✔️ Defending democracy ✔️ Fighting for climate justice ✔️ Building equitable food systems ✔️ Supporting women’s leadership. Learn more: bit.ly/2M8xT40 pic.twitter.com/fEWv…

About 6 days ago

RT @interfaithpower IPL is proud to be a signer on this letter. The U.S. must provide bold and socially just leadership to protect our communities from the impacts of climate change, including the threats to our economy- @sbhendershot twitter.com/RealBank…

About 6 days ago

RT @interfaithpower "This is all of our country, this is our mother. It's difficult to not feel obligated to protect this land" - @DebHaalandNM with a powerful reminder of what she believes in. Her passion is exactly what we need right now; the Senate must #ConfirmHaaland! #ConfirmClimate

About 6 days ago

RT @EPA EPA is proud to join our agency partners as we tackle the climate crisis and build a healthier, cleaner, more equitable future for all. Let’s do this! whitehouse.gov/brief…

Last week

Follow @ncipl

Latest Tweets

Copyright © 2021 NC Council of Churches · All Rights Reserved · Website by Tomatillo Design · Hosted by WP Engine