Submitted
On Sunday Sept. 21, Mike Bell, a member of the Comox Valley Unitarian Fellowship, will give a talk on Facing the Anthropocene with the New Cosmology and an Earth Spirituality.
Geologists tell us that Earth has entered a new stage in its development. It is called the Anthropocene and its primary manifestation is climate change. Unlike previous development stages that were natural occurrences, the Anthropocene is man-made. We are changing the chemistry of Earth and destroying the ecosystems that we and other life forms depend upon for our existence.
As we move forward our survival as a species depends upon our ability to adopt a mutually enhancing relationship between our human species and Earth.
To deal with this challenge we must change the way we think about Earth and our relationship to it. Adopting the New Cosmology will help us gain a new perspective.
We then must internalize this new awareness. An Earth spirituality can sustain us and motivate us to accept and address the new challenges.
Drawing upon his experience as a former monk and student of Thomas Berry and as a community organizer in the Arctic, Mike will discuss how the radical transformations introduced by the Anthropocene will require all religious organizations, faith groups, and individuals to change the way they see the world and give it meaning.
The Unitarian Service will take place at 4 p.m. on Sunday, September 20 at the Comox United Church 250 Beach Street in Comox. All are welcome. Childcare is provided.