Environmentalism Brings Together People of All Faiths

By Beth Ackerly

We live in a polarized world, quick to point out our differences and reasons why we should distrust one another. But as I sat down to write articles about Creation Care, I thought about the role that environmentalism plays in the lives of people I know, even those who share very different backgrounds. From this, I concluded that the environment can be a tie that binds us, not something that divides us.

I consider myself to be agnostic, although I have a very deep earth-based spirituality that I follow in my personal life. I honor the changing seasons and the different roles they play in my life, and at the time I’m writing this, look forward to celebrating the spring equinox with my family. I compost most of my food waste, which then goes to feed my garden. I refuse to buy from corporations that are known to be big contributors to plastic waste. I believe that the environment is sacred and use that as guiding principle in my life and in raising my young daughter, Luna.

On the other hand, my mother, Ann Snavely, has been a member of the Lutheran church her entire life. And though her beliefs are very different from mine, the central theme of protecting our planet remains firm. Growing up, Mom was always tending to her rose and gardenia bushes, and nowadays her garden is filled with beautiful native plants and flowers that thrive in her home in Florida. She refuses to purchase single-use water bottles, using a filtration system in her kitchen and reusable bottles instead. She also collects her old newspapers and gives them to the local animal shelter to shred for litter for the cats.

“God has instructed us to be good stewards of all that He has given us, and that certainly includes the earth,” she says.

Next, I turn to one of my best friends of 21 years, Nabeeha Ali. Nabeeha is Muslim, and she too considers caring for the en- vironment as part of her faith. She enjoys participating in clean-up events and grows vegetables and herbs that she shares with friends and family.

“Taking care of the environment … helps me to feel grounded within myself and my faith. I know I’m helping to create a thriving and beautiful place for myself and my loved ones,” Nabeeha says. “Giving is a huge deal in my religion. When you give, you are practicing kindness and encouraging people to be harmonious with each other. It’s a way of spreading peace, which is what my religion is about.”

I feel blessed to know these people from very different walks of life. Our lives are made richer by being able to come together to share our varied experiences and find common ground. Achieving our mission of protecting earth is made easier and better by accepting our differences and working together toward our common goal.

Beth Ackerly is a Spring 2023 intern with Cape Fear’s Going Green.