Gloria Waggoner addresses Lambeth Spouses on Environmental Stewardship

The following is an address by Gloria Waggoner to the 2008 Lambeth Spouses Conference:

I am Gloria Waggoner from the Diocese of Spokane which includes the inland area of Washington State and North Idaho.  Washington State is located in the uppermost northwest region of the United States.  It is an area of intense agriculture, providing much of the world with wheat.  We grow asparagus, the famous Idaho potato; there are orchards of cherries, apples and pears, and vineyards.  The “vastly well known” Walla Walla onions come from Walla Walla, Washington, of course!

Jim and I have lived in Spokane for 8 years and love it very much.  The only difficult part is that our children, grandchildren and family live 2800 miles across America in the Washington, D.C. area.

I was delighted to be asked to facilitate this plenary on the environment.  Since we have been talking about vocations this week, mine has become one of raising awareness about the environment, teaching safe alternatives to using chemicals in the home and yard thus working in harmony with Nature, and also keeping people informed about false information regarding just about everything with which we come into contact on a daily basis.  That list includes skincare, household cleaning products, garden care, food, etc.

I do want to let you know that common vanilla extract, used in cooking, is one of the best mosquito repellents ever.  Just apply it to your, skin, smell wonderful all day long, and repel those mosquitoes.

I have practiced, written about, and taught organic methods of living and gardening for many years, with emphasis on what we, as individuals can do in our daily lives toward becoming better stewards of the earth, better global neighbors.

Our diocesan house and property stand as examples of successful organic gardening and lawn care.  Inside the house we use non toxic cleaning products, and follow as many environment friendly practices as we can.  Our Meditation Garden, which is open to the public, is on the register of the Quiet Garden Trust which originates here in England.

I believe that two of the most profound questions we should be asking each day are, “Who is my neighbor on this earth,” and “How do my daily actions affect that neighbor.”

Though we each hail from different countries and diverse cultures, the one thing we all have in common is where we live.  Our home is the planet earth, a beautiful gem-like orb, that provides the vital necessities of everyday life without which we could not survive.  Each of us needs clean air, unpolluted water, abundant sunshine, enough rain, and fertile soil for growing food.  All are crucial to our well being.

I like to think of the earth as a very large neighborhood where all who dwell therein are concerned about, and working towards the welfare of this vast neighborhood.  As we know, human beings are not the only inhabitants of this community.  There are other creatures and ecosystems that are dependent upon our sense of compassion for their  existence.

It seems, though, that we have not always done a very good job of being “caretakers” of this wonderful place.  Instead of exercising compassionate dominion over all, we have too often assumed a role of entitlement, where cost, or consequence to others is not considered.  It appears that sacrifice of ecological systems, the welfare of people, animal habitat, and pollution, is never too great a price to pay for individual gain.  It is sad to think that most likely there are undiscovered species of insects, animals, or birds that may have been lost to us forever.  We may very well live to see a time when food is scarce due to the demise of pollinating insects and birds because of lost habitat, indiscriminate use of toxic chemicals, and interrupted flyways.

When God granted “dominion over all” to human beings, I cannot think that anything less than a sense of interconnectedness and respect for every living entity was God’s intent.  We were to be caretakers of this generous and supreme gift that was given to each of us.  Instead, we now face a real crisis because we have not honored and cared for the earth in the manner we should.

We, as human beings, are no more important, nor less, than the humble insects.  We live in an interconnected community made up of all sorts of creatures and systems whose purposes in life are very clear to them.  Our continuous interruptions of these communities and systems may well be our own undoing.

I hope that we can rethink our place in the world and become more attuned to living simply as part of a whole glorious system of balances and checks that work well without interference.  The initial plan for how the earth and all its inhabitants and systems connect, work, and rely on each other was nothing short of genius.

It is past time that we rethink our place; past time that we reconsider who we are and where we fit into this marvelous system called earth; past time that we do an about face, let go of our egos and remember that we are an equal part of a complete system which includes all the inhabitants of this planet, be they human, animal, fowl, or insect.  Each has an important role, purpose, and calling.

I will end this portion of our session with a quote from Katharine Jefferts-Schori, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in America.  She says, “We are meant to be partners in God’s glorious creative work.  How are we going to be green, heal this planet, and give glory to God?”  And then, “Seeking a transformed heart changes our way of seeing the world.”

May we all be so transformed.