This past Sunday marked an historic moment for the interfaith community in Northern Michigan. Blessed by hymns and prayers, in three hours 12,000 trees were gently planted in yards, wetlands, on church properties, at campgrounds and cutover timberlands in all fifteen counties of the Upper Peninsula.
Thousands of volunteers from over a hundred faith communities representing ten religious traditions joined together in an unprecedented sign of hope and promise. Stories continue to be gathered celebrating this collaborative effort in our neighborhoods, villages, and cities.
A priest from a nearby Roman Catholic parish marked the day by reverently placing a small seedling in the hands of children receiving their first communion. A rainbow formed an arc over a tiny Presbyterian church in Sagola as volunteers prepared dozens of trees for distribution in the community.
In a Lutheran parking lot, a Jewish physician blessed a dozen trees as he prepared to bring them back for planting near his Synagogue. On that same Sunday, during an early afternoon potluck, a single small tree was presented to the only son of a soon to be ordained Methodist pastor, a single mother, to be planted next to a parsonage.
During a prior Saturday night evening service in my own community, I watched a steady stream of elders, some with canes, many worn and bent by life's hard journey, approach an altar at the close of the service to carry small seedlings back to their homes and apartments for planting.
Environmental challenges, globally and locally, that face us are inviting levels of response and collaboration that many of us have never witnessed in our lifetime. It's actually a time of great promise.
With support of our churches and quiet generous supporters, the interfaith EarthKeepers Initiative will continue its hands-on work alongside environmental groups to build a more sustainable and just world as part of this landscape we have come to call home. Every generation faces forces of cynicism and despair. Ours is no exception.
When it comes to emotional and physical health, there's plenty of increasing, frightening evidence about the negative impacts of pollution, economic stress and the consequences of failed environmental regulation.
In the 16th century, the protestant reformer Martin Luther was once asked what he would do if he knew the world would end tomorrow.
His answer still rings across the centuries. It's been said that Luther paused, and thoughtfully responded, "I would plant a tree." We have lived out, one recent afternoon, such a bold sign of hopeful defiance.
Editor's note: Jon Magnuson is a Lutheran pastor and director of The Cedar Tree Institute.