Nashville Chapter of Tennessee Interfaith Power & Light organized a Climate Vigil Service on December 7th, 2017
On December 7th, 2017, near the second anniversary of the United Nations 2015 Paris Climate Accord, the Nashville Chapter of Tennessee Interfaith Power & Light held an interfaith service to celebrate the gift of Earth and lift up the need to take bold action to mitigate climate change.
The service , "Celebrating Our Common Home, took place at Christ Church Cathedral, an Episcopal congregation. The service reference Pope Francis's landmark 2015 Encyclical "Laudato Si, On Care for Our Common Home." Around seventy-five people representing numerous house of worship attended on a very cold and windy night.
Prior to the service, an outdoor candlelight vigil was held during rush hour in downtown Nashville with banners calling for continued U.S. commitment to the Paris Climate Accord.
URI Nashville Cooperation Circle Chairperson, Joyce Wilding, was on the planning team for the vigil and recruited leaders for the interfaith service. This included musicians, Masood Taj (Sufi), Dina Rae Capatani (Yogi), and Sherry Cothran (Native American spirituality). URI also contributed three speakers: Jayanthi Karunaratne (Theravada Buddhist), as well as Harbhajan Swarn Birdee (Sikh). All the speakers emphasized how care for the Earth and all living things is a central tenet of their various religions. Other presenters represented Christianity, Judaism, Islam and New Thought faith traditions. The service combined elements of confession about the harm being done, gratitude for Earth's gifts, and statements of commitment to work for Earth's healing, again emphasizing how it is indeed "our common home." The evening ended with a rousing singing of "This Land is Your Land."
Check out photos from the Climate March.
Visit Nashville Chapter - TN Interfaith Power & Light's Facebook page for more photos and event updates.
