On Saturday, December 12, after months of preparation and a week of discussion, representatives of 195 countries agreed on a historic document addressing the issues and problems associated with climate change. The document (see the key provisions here) has been praised for showing the way out of reliance upon fossil fuels, although some activists feel it has not gone far enough.

And so we pray this news . . .

Creator of the Earth and all beings,
we are grateful to all the government and environmental
leaders who brought their expertise and commitments
to Paris for these important meetings.
We are grateful that they came to an agreement that maps
the way into the future.
We are grateful to you for inspiring their visions and sustaining
their courage in the face of doubters and special interests.

We know too that this agreement marks the beginning
not the end of action on climate change.
And so we also offer this prayer:

"May God bless us not with clean air alone,
— But the will to keep our air clean.

"May God bless us not with a vision of a healthy planet alone,
But with the will to do all in our power to restore and maintain our planet's health.

"May God bless us not with a change of heart in the great world leaders alone to save our planet,
— But with a change in our own heart to use our own power to save the planet.

"May the blessing of God not bring to us saints alone,
— But make of us saints greater than any we imagine."

— from Forty Nights: Creation Centered Night Prayer by Daniel McGill


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