You mean we have to get IN the water?: Glenn Memorial UMC River Clean-Up

The looks of fear behind the masked faces were impossible to hide… “You mean we have to get IN the water?” My twenty five middle and high schoolers stared blankly at me as if I had lost my mind. These teenagers had assembled on a cool June morning with the intent of picking up trash along the banks of streams in Medlock Park, but it seemed as if they were already in over their heads. As we made our way down the banks of the edge of the river, a single Hula Hoop, the holy grail of debris, was spotted across the stream. It proved too tempting of a challenge and almost immediately, entire bodies were up to their waists in chilly water.  So often we require inspiration to live into God’s call for us to care for Creation and come face to face with the pollutants that damage our community’s access to clean water. Pulling cans, tires, and even a spare mattress out of our water system showed the Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church youth group that our efforts have lasting effects downstream. Working with Georgia Interfaith Power and Light alongside Chattahoochee Riverkeeper to host this clean-up event reminded us that in caring for creation, churches live into our instruction to love our neighbors. Whether it be substituting sustainable communion elements, managing our waste output, or involving ourselves in community gardens, we are called deeper into service to our local communities so that we may inhabit a cleaner world. If your faith community is interested in participating in a clean-up, please reach out to GIPL's Program Associate, Hannah Shultz, at hannah@gipl.org. _____________________________________________________________________About the Author:Emily Elizabeth Castelloe is a second year Master of Divinity student at Candler School of Theology and serves as the Youth Ministry Assistant at Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church.