The Pax Christi USA Global Restoration Committee would like to share this information with you, our GReen mail activists. We invite you to pray, study and act with us across the miles recognizing that a sustainable, healthy world is a more peaceful world for all creation.
TWO HANDS HOLD THE EARTH
Love of the earth and creation is universal.
Children all over the world love creation: animals, flowers, trees, air, sea and land.
Prayer:
by MJ Park
God our Creator
ever present and all loving,
we thank you for the beauty of creation
and all the graces poured out.
Thank you for all the seeds planted in our hearts and minds
from your words, stories, and teachings
that nourish us like hearty bread to help us
care for earth, air and sea.
May we hold all of creation in our hands and heart
May our hands care for creation
May our minds give us the wisdom to make good choices
May our heart share the love that is bubbling in us as
we enjoy the bounty of creation.
Thank you God for entrusting Care for Creation to us,
Thank you God for giving us love,
Thank you God for giving us Peace.
Study:
Get out a world map and look at all the different continents, countries, oceans, rivers and lakes. Discuss the amazing responsibility we have as stewards of this vast creation.
Now think of all those living in the world and speaking different languages, eating different food, dressing in different clothing but everywhere creation is the same: land, air, water.
Example : El Salvador : Village of La Chacra near San Salvador
Beautiful little village with mountains surrounding it, green grass along the road and very beautiful trees. I was moved and filled with Peace as I visited this past summer.
However, there is much garbage and lots of waste as the people are not acting with a conscious awareness of what they are doing as they throw the candy wrappers on the ground and the empty drinks that are served in plastic (with a straw), and empty packaging from their fruit and cracker snacks. Thus the ground looks like an open garbage can. The river running through the town has lots of white foam from the detergent causing pollution. I wonder - how do the fish live there?
1. What is happening?
2. Why is it happening?
3. What can we do about it?
4. Is this what God had in mind for care of creation?
Action:
Little Friends For Peace, founded and directed by my husband Jerry and I, was invited to go to El Salvador by Holy Trinity Parish in the Georgetown area of Washington, DC. We went to their sister parish Maria Madre De Los Pobres in La Charqua to offer our peace education. Our program was geared for children & adults, and was called Two Hands Hold the Earth. We worked with K-3rd grade children; teachers, janitors, cooks and parents to teach how to live & practice peace and nonviolent living.
We did the above prayer and then a study of creation and what was going on in their village. We met a teacher named Sonia Margarita Alfano Lopez who is also working to stop deforestation and plant trees. She decided to write letters, talk to people and educate them on what was happening and work together to stop ruining the village and the ecosystem of the San Jacinto Mountain. We know she will continue her moving, compassionate actions to educate people and work for change.
Through our various gatherings the children began to see that the earth is hurting from the garbage, the pollution and the lack of care. So we decided to:
- Make posters reminding people not to throw trash.
- Make posters reminding people to use the trash cans.
- We held a trash clean up and all the children collected trash on the playground and around the church.
We had a Peace Prayer Circle:
1. We put the earth ball in the middle of the circle and planted the Peace Pole which says : May Peace Prevail on Earth
2. We sang : "Two Hands Hold The Earth"
3. We read: The Giving Tree by Silverstein
4. All the children made a personal flag with a picture of something they love in Creation and how they will CARE for it .
We always encourage reading together:
The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry
Chimpanzees by Jane Goodall
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Sharing The Joy of Nature : Nature Activities For All Ages by Joseph Cornell
Children of the Earth and Sky by Stephen Krensky
The Kids Nature Book : 365 Indoor /Outdoor Activities and Experiences by Susan Milord
and a little child shall lead them...
MAY PEACE PREVAIL ON EARTH
and
LET IT BEGIN WITH ME
Wishing you happy holidays
& a peaceful New Year!
