Today, a little about me. Then as we go, I hope to hear from you—your comments, questions, hopes, ideas. We are, none of us, alone in this work of caring for creation, and the more we work together, the stronger and more effective we will be.
I am a Texas native going back at least four generations. My great-grandmother was born in Quanah, Texas—and my grandfather and his five brothers and sisters were all born there, too. (Before that, the family history is a little fuzzy!) Both of my parents and my brothers and I were all born in Fort Worth, where my grandfather served as Education Minister for the Regional office of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Southwest. I was raised some in Fort Worth but mostly in Austin; as an adult, I have lived mostly in the Fort Worth area but am happy to be back “home” now in Austin.
Sometimes I get frustrated with politics in Texas, but I have a deep love for this state. My family and I love a good road trip and we’ve been to a lot of places. We’ve hiked through piney woods and wetlands in East Texas, camped at Caprock Canyon, rafted 36 miles on the Rio Grande through Boquillas Canyon, explored caves in Central Texas, visited North Texas prairies in bloom and collected shells on Boca Chica Beach. One time we got stuck in the sand dunes of Monahans State Park. There’s a lot to love about this state—and so much to protect for future generations.
Caring for the earth is about so much more than natural beauty, though. We all depend on the earth for survival—for food, air and water. When our air, water and food systems are polluted, we get sick. Taking care of the earth is an important part of taking care of people. And taking care of people and the earth is, in my understanding, an important part of our responsibility as people of faith—no matter what your faith tradition might be. To read about my religious story, click here.
We as a people and a planet are facing some very serious environmental problems, and many of the facts are bleak. In engaging in this work, I don’t expect to solve all of the world’s problems. Or any of them, really. The way I look at it, I have a responsibility to do what I can to make things better and whether things actually get better or not is not ultimately up to me—I am just one person with very limited control over the universe, so I try to focus on my choices and my actions rather than being too tied up in concern about possible results. There is a wonderful Jewish teaching that informs this perspective: “It is not yours to complete the task, but neither are you free to desist from it” (Pirkei Avot 2:21). This teaching says to me: do what you can to make things better, and don’t give up.
I look forward to getting to know many other Texans of Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Unitarian Universalist, Neo-Pagan, Humanist, and other faith traditions—you, who are doing what you can in your communities to make things better for this planet that we share and all the people that live on it. It is by sharing stories, hopes and ideas—and then together, putting them into action—that we will begin to mend some of the brokenness in the world.
Blessings, Amanda