Renewing the Sacred Balance
Overview
Renewing the Sacred Balance is about rekindling our relationship with habitat Earth and with one another. It’s about living life with sacred awareness and an ethic of eco-sustainability.
Faith & the Common Good has developed programs and educational materials which illustrate that the wisdom of our religious traditions can be a key resource in the great spiritual quest of our time: Healing our beloved planet Earth and R enewing its Sacred Balance.
Here in Canada, centuries of progress have given us much, probably too much. We are buried in stuff. Our health, and the health of the planet, is increasingly threatened by our over-consumption. Often, it seems, we are too busy to enjoy the gift of each other and the simple abundance of the Earth. All of this has created a dangerous imbalance.
Fortunately, it is not too late re-establish our sacred relationships with the Earth and with each other. It will be a challenge, but as people of faith we know what hope and persistence can accomplish in seeking the common good. We want to encourage people to take simple, practical steps encompassing all aspects of our lives: Our spirituality, our faith communities, our homes, our local communities, our transportation, our nation, and our entire planet.
Essential to our movement is helping people understand the deeper spiritual and ethical reasons for making these changes. Campaigns driven by guilt and fear will not work. Negative motivators may instigate short-term change but will not stimulate the long-term transformation of our social, economic, and political systems necessary to create a truly sustainable society. We need to be motivated by love, by beauty, by a sense of the sacred. Spirituality, then, must be at the heart of the great process of transformation that lies ahead. T he wisdom of all the world's faith traditions can be a deep source of inspiration and sustenance as together we Renew the Sacred Balance.
See also: Background - Why the Renewing the Sacred Balance Initiative?
Step 1: Deepening your Commitment
Faith & the Common Good invites you to continually deepen your personal and community commitment to Renewing the Sacred Balance by exploring the following interconnected spheres of action:
1. Renewing the Sacred Balance in our Spirituality and in our Faith Communities
Often, it seems, we are too busy to enjoy the gift of each other and the simple abundance of the Earth. To rekindle our sacred relationships with the Earth and each other, we can begin by reconnecting to our innate sense of wonder and beauty; ; reflecting on your lifestyle ; cultivating ecological awareness and gathering a group for education and action in your faith communities. Find out more here...
2. Renewing the Sacred Balance in our Homes and Religious Buildings
Renewing the Sacred Balance begins by practicing ecological values in our everyday lives. We can start by reducing our energy use, eliminating toxic chemicals from our homes and gardens, and making conscious choices about the food we eat. Find out more here...
3. Renewing the Sacred Balance in our Local Communities and Transportation
Renewing the Sacred Balance means reaching out and connecting with others involved in creating healthier local communities. As our food and other commodities become more locally sourced we rely less on transportation, the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada – accounting for a quarter of all emissions. Imagine how our urban neighborhoods could be transformed if , for example, some of the resources currently devoted to building and maintaining roads and vehicles could be spent instead on community vegetable gardens, renewable energy and public transportation. Find out more here...
4. Renewing the Sacred Balance through National and Global Campaigns
Renewing the Sacred Balance also requires coordinated action both across Canada and around the globe. Explore some sample initiatives that enable you to join with others working to protect and heal our precious planet including: The Earth Charter, Climate Change initiatives, the Water Declaration, and the Treaty to Protect the Genetic Commons. Find out more here...
Step 2: Getting Support, Getting Involved
1. Join our National Network
Faith & the Common Good is building a national network of people involved in Renewing the Sacred Balance. S ign up to receive our FCG Quarterly electronic newsletter . (You may have already done this if you've signed up for previous campaigns or ordered resources on the Faith & the Common Good website.) In this way, we can stay connected and you can hear about new ideas and events.
2. Get Involved in Greening Sacred Spaces
Greening Sacred Spaces is a practical program developed by Faith & the Common Good to assist faith communities to Renew the Sacred Balance by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and becoming sustainable in their daily operations. We have developed a whole GSS Resource Kit – with workshops, posters, videos, and guidebooks– to help faith groups begin and continue this work. (Find out more...)
3. Find out more about the Green Rule
Faith & the Common Good derived the Green Rule poster from the classic Golden Rule poster, whose central dictum “Do to others as you would have them do to you" is found in all the major faith traditions. For the Green Rule we are paraphrasing the Golden Rule by saying: "Do unto the Earth as you would have it do unto you." We have looked to the sacred texts and teachings of many of the world’s religions and spiritual traditions to reveal similar expressions of concern, only in choosing our Green Rule texts we have extended the plea for compassion to include all of our neighbours, human beings, animals, birds, trees… (Find out more...)