The Long Walk of Faithful Stewardship

Written by Jessica Zimmerle

Outreach Coordinator for Earth Ministry

 Dear friends,

The world lost a wonderful leader last week as Nelson Mandela has gone to be with God. Although he is no longer with us, Mandela’s legacy will live on as his courage, grace, and passion will continue to inspire us all to strive towards a more just future for all of creation.

Let’s consider Mandela’s journey as he described it in his autobiography, The Long Walk to Freedom.

"I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended."

While Mandela’s long walk towards equality and reconciliation in South Africa certainly sets a high standard, we can apply his words of wisdom as motivation to stay steadfast in our own work for justice. No matter how large or small these projects may be, they are each significant in improving the quality of world we live in.

His words also serve as a friendly reminder that, although we do deserve to pause and reflect on the work we have accomplished this year, there will always be more good work awaiting us. Instead of reveling in our past, we must move forward to continue living out our responsibility to be kind neighbors and good stewards of creation.

So let’s put these words into action. Let’s take a moment to sit back and say wow to everything we have done this year. Thanks to your support, Earth Ministry has continued to be an effective and positive leader in the religious environmental movement. This year, our shared successes included turning out over 1,000 people of faith to meet with legislators in support of environmental bills, building a partnership with the Lummi Nation to protect their treaty rights and sacred sites, increasing WAIPL interfaith outreach, leading 47 congregational workshops, and contributing to a record-breaking 200,000 public comments on the Longview coal export terminal.

Now it is time to lace up our boots and look forward towards the many hills that await us this upcoming year. The road may not be smooth, and it may be exhausting at times, but there is no time to linger as our faith guides us down the path of justice. At Earth Ministry, we are excited to continue our work on regulating toxics in children’s products and our new “This Land is Our Land: Faithful Stewardship of Public Lands” campaign. These are no small tasks, but we are confident we can summit them with the support of our dedicated members, like you!

Thank you for standing with us in achieving our mission. We are grateful for the important role that you play in this good work on behalf of God’s creation, and we are proud to be your partner in the long walk of faithful stewardship.

In peace,
Jessica