Last Tuesday there was an Earth Day Celebration called “Hope Arises” at Pritchard Park in downtown Asheville. Here is a picture of the clergy present who signed a letter to Duke Energy about closing their power plant. I wore my red stole as I did for the Moral Monday protests because we need the Spirit to descend upon us as we work to stop climate change.

Dr. Malory McDuff

I sometimes lose hope around this issue. Many folks in the faith community don’t really understand climate change. Katharine Hayhoe in her chapter of the book Sacred Acts edited by Dr. Mallory McDuff, gives three reasons why this is true. 1) The evidence is not easy to see. 2) Confusion is rampant 3)The truth is frightening. (see p. 77-83 for a thorough discussion)

However, this rally really did give me hope. It began with Dr. Richard Fireman the very first speaker who reminded us that when many people pass in the same place on a piece of land, a road is made. We are making a path as we act together.

Amanda Hendler-Voss also spoke. I use the word “spoke” but she actually preached. She suggested that Tim Moffit and Lynn Good, the CEO of Duke Energy, may have gone to church this past Easter Sunday wearing their Sunday best. She continued, ” The earth has been proclaiming the good news of Easter for billions of years – the good news that death does not have the last word; that new life is always breaking forth; that the dawn always comes riding in, even on the heels of the deepest, longest night.”<a

some of the crowd at the rally

On Tuesday, hope did arise in me. It also reminded me how much I need hope in other areas of my life. Hope arises when I see how far I have come since my brain injury in 1996. Hope arises when I see the road ahead and I know each step will be better than the one before.

As Steve Runholt said, “Hope always arises.” Yes it does.