Moved by Pope Francis’ recent encyclical calling on the Catholic faithful to combat climate change, a diverse collection of local religious leaders gathered in Lexington Thursday to find common ground on environmental issues.
"May we as mutual people of faith find a mutual and united voice," Peggy Hines prays as about 30 local activists bow their heads.
The group, including representatives with the Pioneers for a Sustainable Future, the Islamic Society of Central Kentucky, Temple Adath Israel, and others speak to what they describe as a moral imperative to steward the earth through practical, everyday acts of conservation.
"We must discard a throwaway culture that sees both natural resources and other human beings, all living creatures, including nature, as disposable," Marc Bentley, a seminarian with the Lexington Archdiocese, entreats the audience.
While Tim Darst with Kentucky Interfaith Power & Light spotlights concrete practical steps that reduced his household's consumption of electricity by 70 percent, UK Islamic Studies professor Dr. Ihsan Bagby discusses a movement dubbed "Greening Our Ramadan."
Peggy Hines with the Kentucky Council of Churches says the faith community should have a seat at the table, where they can argue for "civility in how we speak with one another, how we talk to one another, a moral and ethical perspective of course, and scriptural [perspective]."
Organizers say they hope the meeting was the first of many to come.
Pope Francis is set to visit Washington, D.C., New York, and Philadelphia in September.
