Isolated No More – The First Gathering

I’ve known for some time that I needed to take a step beyond this blog. Intentions became actions when I organized a gathering of fellow Christians who care deeply about God’s earth on a Sunday late in September. I thought you’d like to read about it.

Thanks to the hospitality of Jen and Bryce Riemer, we gathered at the Riemer Family Farm in Brodhead, Wisconsin. Our potluck featured delicious food: fresh salads, Indian lentils, meatballs made from the pasture-raised animals of the Riemers’ farm, Asian pears, zucchini bread, and chocolate chocolate chip cookies made by the Riemers’ daughters.

While we ate and for awhile after, we shared our faith journeys and how our lives have been shaped by the conviction that God’s earth is of great value and importance. All of us were hungry to do this. All of us also shared the rewards and challenges of living out this conviction.

The attendees included a couple who have been running an ecologically-minded tree care company for decades, the director of community relations from the Au Sable Institute, an artist who is also the volunteer steward of two natural areas in Lake County, a land manager for a forest preserve district, a non-profit staff member working to promote sustainable farming (me), an occupational therapist who also gardens organically and teaches tai chi, and an organic grain farmer.

Later, I shared ideas I have on what collective action we could take going forward. In the discussion that followed, there was general consensus that we need to start with gathering together as a network. Through this network we can find ways to inspire each other, support each other, and even take action together. We closed this portion of the event with heartfelt prayer.

Jen and Bryce then led us on a tour of their farm fields where land long farmed in corn and beans is being converted to perennial pasture for rotational grazing of livestock. Rotational grazing on well-managed pasture has a multitude of benefits. It is good for the land and water, for habitat, for the health of the animals, and for the quality of the meat.

About 400 yards away, we could see a massive dairy factory farm’s new metal structures and barren earth. As this industrial farm facility gears up to full operating capacity, it will eventually house 6,000 cows. These living creatures of God will be kept inside 24/7 365 days a week to maximize efficiency and productivity. The contrast with the Riemer’s farm could not have been more stark.

For three years, the Riemers had led the local fight against the startup of this dairy Confined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) to try to prevent the damage to community and environment that they bring. This fight was ultimately unsuccessful. Its operations, which are not even at full scale yet, have already forced a neighboring family to move because their their children couldn’t breathe.

Yet, the Riemers have shown amazing grace and are seeing other opportunities to grow sustainable, humane, God-honoring farming out of the situation.

A highlight of our touring was when we passed the trees on the edges of the Riemers’ fields. Clouds of monarch butterflies flew up from the branches of the trees and all around us. The trees offered shelter for the monarchs as they rested together during their long southward migration. This was a fitting benediction to the day.

Thoughts and Insights

Several thoughts and realizations emerged from the gathering and from our conversations:

* The vast majority of people (and not just Christians) are profoundly disconnected from Creation and how it works.

* A feeling of isolation is common for Christians like us. The Au Sable director shared how many of the friends of Au Sable that he had been visiting have started crying when asked why they supported the Institute. They cried because Au Sable is one of the few outlets they have for being part of a Christian community that values Creation.

• We have felt the judgment of other Christians. Stories were told of other Christians suspiciously assuming that if one cared about God’s earth and acted to protect it then one was almost certainly on the road to becoming an earth worshipper and abortion rights supporter.

* Why is it that secular scientists and advocates are the ones mobilizing people to address the destruction being done to God’s earth on an epic scale and not churches and Christians?

* Sharing the message that God’s earth matters to God should be done with patient grace. Zealous judgmentalism will not help.

* Despite the many challenges, we were also reminded of the power of God to change hearts and transform lives. We heard of a Christian farmer who is now in the process of transitioning his 2,200-acre operation to organic methods. He chose to do this, in part, because of his children’s interest and desire to see Creation treated well.

*Our time of fellowship was deeply meaningful. One participant said, “I don’t want to leave and never see you all again.”

Another gathering is in the works. If you are in the Midwest and would like to be invited to the next one, please email me at naaberg19 at gmail.com. If you’re not in the Midwest, know that we hope to share what we learn from these gatherings. We would hope, too, that other groups of Christians will organize similarly elsewhere.

I don’t know where this is going exactly. But, with God’s help, it will keep going.