We Help

“I am the Lorax, I speak for the trees!”

We all remember Dr. Seuss’ children’s book The Lorax, about a shortish and oldish and brownish and mossy man who fights against the mass destruction of his Truffula trees from the hands of the greedy Onceler. This Onceler character, who personifies corporate greed in his evil green gloves, unrepentantly chops down the Truffula trees and uses their beautiful tufts in order to make his money-making Thneeds. This story comes to mind when I think about my brother looking up toward the heavens to the top of a giant sequoia tree in Sequoia National Park, admiring its majesty, its towering height, its time on this planet.

Suddenly, during yet another wildfire, my brother pops out of a stump and rages against the “Onceler,” or the politicians who place corporate greed and money above climate legislation. Thankfully, he knew who to call upon to fight the greedy Onceler. He knew there was a church in the heart of Kansas City with caring, aware, generous, climate-conscious people, who are not afraid to pick up a phone and demand change from their legislators. He knew Peace gets things done. He knew Peace people roll up their sleeves, make phone call after phone call, write letters until our hands hurt, and dig into their purses to make a difference in our communities, our country, and our world.

Thank you, Peace Church, for your phone calls and emails to the legislators “on the fence” about climate legislation. I truly believe that our collective voices made a difference and tipped the scales in favor of climate legislation. Relentless calls from Midwesterners to a Senator in Appalachia about a climate emergency taking place on the West Coast. We did that. We banded together with a common goal, and we made it happen.

That’s why I love Peace Church. We help each other. We help our planet. We help the poor, the disenfranchised, the voiceless. We are a living embodiment of the song, “Be More Kind.” We are the beacon reaching out. We do good work, and the work never stops. But neither do we.

That’s why Stewardship is so important. We need the voices, phone calls, letters, emails, and monetary contributions to make a difference in our world. Keep it up, Peace Church, because, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

Holy One,

Thank you for the kindness of the people of Peace. Help us continue to care a whole awful lot.

Amen

Kelly is a mom, a wife, a teacher and a sister to Kyle who speaks for the trees.