Why We Do This Work
An end-of-year reflection from Rev. Kate McGregor Mosley
As GIPL’s new executive director, I am grateful to have been chosen for this work, and for work that I love completely. I do this work of environmental activism that engages faith communities because I believe deeply that we all have something to say. And I believe that we all have something we can do in regards to the health of our planet – not just some cosmos but our home…home to a wonderfully diverse, interconnected ecosystem that sustains a rich community of human life.
I meet all sorts of faith leaders and clergy folk who haven’t given much thought about how their “world” needs to engage environmental issues. They haven’t thought much about how they can contribute to this important conversation. This is a big reason why GIPL’s mission must continue. To find those faith communities and encourage them to join the conversation. I like to think of it as recruiting them for the choir. GIPL’s mission is to harmonize our voices on behalf of Creation. There are many environmental organizations hard at work, here in Georgia and across the globe. Each is doing valuable work. There are even more faith-based environmental groups now than before. GIPL partners with just about all of them and lifts up our particular mission -- to recruit and encourage Georgia’s congregations to speak out and act in caring ways for the planet.I also do this work because I believe deeply people of faith have a particular offering for the environmental movement. For starters, we operate influential organizations that can show the importance of being energy and water efficient. We can make choices based on our faith values about what we consume. We can make connections on the environmental impact of the production and manufacturing of goods we utilize as houses of worship. I believe we each have our own part to play in this work. 
Yet, what I believe to be most important – that the sacred texts of all the world’s religions invite us to see ourselves and the world with a different lens. We are created as more than consumers – the way the market economy wants us to view ourselves. We were created in love, to love and to be loved. Living into that reality means that we see the world with eyes of love, which moves us into acts of gratitude and compassion that bring healing to a hurting world – an earth being ravaged.People of faith see value in a world that is not to be destroyed for our sake. People of faith see value in a world that has endless beauty for future generations to experience. People of faith see value in acting on behalf of the voiceless among us, including Creation that stands tall as trees, peaks as mountains and flows as rivers. So we have our work cut out for us. The earth continues to feel the pressure of our abuse. Creation still groans for our loving response. Now more than ever, let the choir sing in harmony.May our actions be bold and filled with hope for our sake and for the sake of the earth.Generously support the movement with your end-of-year, tax-deductible gift to GIPL today!
I meet all sorts of faith leaders and clergy folk who haven’t given much thought about how their “world” needs to engage environmental issues. They haven’t thought much about how they can contribute to this important conversation. This is a big reason why GIPL’s mission must continue. To find those faith communities and encourage them to join the conversation. I like to think of it as recruiting them for the choir. GIPL’s mission is to harmonize our voices on behalf of Creation. There are many environmental organizations hard at work, here in Georgia and across the globe. Each is doing valuable work. There are even more faith-based environmental groups now than before. GIPL partners with just about all of them and lifts up our particular mission -- to recruit and encourage Georgia’s congregations to speak out and act in caring ways for the planet.I also do this work because I believe deeply people of faith have a particular offering for the environmental movement. For starters, we operate influential organizations that can show the importance of being energy and water efficient. We can make choices based on our faith values about what we consume. We can make connections on the environmental impact of the production and manufacturing of goods we utilize as houses of worship. I believe we each have our own part to play in this work. 
Yet, what I believe to be most important – that the sacred texts of all the world’s religions invite us to see ourselves and the world with a different lens. We are created as more than consumers – the way the market economy wants us to view ourselves. We were created in love, to love and to be loved. Living into that reality means that we see the world with eyes of love, which moves us into acts of gratitude and compassion that bring healing to a hurting world – an earth being ravaged.People of faith see value in a world that is not to be destroyed for our sake. People of faith see value in a world that has endless beauty for future generations to experience. People of faith see value in acting on behalf of the voiceless among us, including Creation that stands tall as trees, peaks as mountains and flows as rivers. So we have our work cut out for us. The earth continues to feel the pressure of our abuse. Creation still groans for our loving response. Now more than ever, let the choir sing in harmony.May our actions be bold and filled with hope for our sake and for the sake of the earth.Generously support the movement with your end-of-year, tax-deductible gift to GIPL today!