According to the Hebrew Bible, Adam and Eve were expelled from Paradise very early in human history. And people have been searching for the elusive ideal of "paradise" ever since. So it was interesting to read Bernard of Clairvaux's view of this. He was a 12th century Cistercian abbot who later became a saint. And he wrote, "You do not enter the garden of paradise with your feet, but with your heart."
There is a fascinating article about the concept of Paradise by Hugh S. Pyper, in The Oxford Companion to Christian Thought. In it, he explains the various theories about Paradise - it is the "garden of the Lord", or a reference to a Golden Age, or the Elysian Fields or the Isles of the Blest, or a physical garden somewhere in the Middle East. Then, at the end of the article, he brings it right up to date, writing, "But the quest for the earthly paradise hs never quite died.... Even for those Christians who would not read the geography of Genesis literally, paradise has lately gained new significance as a reminder of the natural order which has been threatened by human despoliation of the earth. It also holds out a vision of a world restored to ecological balance and transcending social, sexual, and racial difference."
Which fits in well with Bernard of Clairvaux's idea. Perhaps paradise is only attainable when we stop treating the Earth as a resource to be used, and start to think of it as a precious place to be respected, cleaned up and cared for. Because in the 250 or so years since the Industrial Revolution began, "Western man has acted as master and lord of his environment, paying no heed to the effects of his actions on the environment. In the name of progress, water, land, air, and the wildlife they support have been despoiled and depleted, perhaps beyond reclaim." (Jonathan Helfand)
It is tragic that, in spite of all the publicity about the climate crisis, most of us in the West are still a society of consumers, with our heads buried firmly in the sand. Natural resources such as gas and oil are running out and the biodiversity on which our planet depends for its health is at risk from the activities of humankind. And it is not only "other people" who are to blame. We are all to blame. I've been watching the new David Attenborough programme Wild Isles in recent weeks, about the natural life in the British Isles. And he has made it crystal clear that species of animals, birds, fish, plants and insects are dying out, here, now, because of the activities of humankind in this country.
In the Anniversary Service at this year's Unitarian GA meetings, Rev Winnie Gordon asked, "When will we wake up and truly be aware of the problems and how we are complicit in them?" And stated, "Our faith calls us to responsibility for the fate of this planet. Calls us to account for each other in our working, playing, nurturing and growing, our educating and profiting - in this world, now, and for all generations to come. Acticism transcends creed, dogmas, doctrine, and social constructs (if done right), and mends (makes whole) the divisions and separateness. That our individualistic beliefs create." Her words wer a powerful call to action for all of us, by all of us.
I believe that if we are to save our beloved blue and green planet, we will need to make extensive changes to how we live our lives, far beyond putting stuff out for recycling. Each of us has a responsibility, both to the planet and to future generations, to both make greener choices as individuals and to show up for justice, so that we may find ways to collectively make a difference.
