How Scared Should I Be?
This verse from Paul’s letter to Timothy in the Christian Bible was central to an article published this week in Sojourners’ Truth and Action Roundup by Tyler Huckabee. He sought to answer the question, “How scared should I be?” Huckabee also quotes Nemik, a Star Wars character, who said, “So much going wrong, so much to say, and all of it happening so quickly. The pace of repression outstrips our ability to understand it.” Then Huckabee writes about the verse from Timothy and also about the angels in the Bible who say, “Fear not.” Huckabee closes with the answer to his question, “‘how scared should I be?’ He says, “Not at all, according to Paul. Instead, let us ask ‘how much should I love?’ and then let God guide us in the eradication of fear.”
[Thanks be for the wisdom of all our faith traditions. Please share any selections from your Holy texts or faith teachers that can sustain and empower us in these times. You can submit them to: ICCTriangle@gmail.com.]
Dear Readers, may we all find in the wisdom of our own faith traditions and in the wisdom of other traditions, exactly what we need to strengthen and expand our own spirit of power and love and to face our fears. May we work with others for the good of all humans and non-humans in Creation. To help make it so, ICCT offers these spirit-filled pathways to contemplation and action. Read the summaries; then scroll down for the full stories.Contents
- Save the date for the next Goose Is Loose – ICCT’s 2025 annual gathering
It’s on the afternoon of Saturday, September 20th in Chapel Hill and it’s named for the wild goose representing the spirit. - They promised “advanced recycling” for plastics and delivered toxic air pollution instead
Learn about the chemical process currently in use at a plant in Zebulon. Make your voice heard in opposition to another plant proposed for Fayetteville and to the process everywhere. - Take a stroll in the JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh
Enjoy the afternoon with Erin Salisbury and Rev. Christian McIvor from ICCT’s Multi-Faith Team as we focus on some passages of wisdom from different faith traditions and their approach to Creation, this Sunday, June 1st, 2:00-3:00pm. The registration deadline has been extended for walk-ins. - Three more Triangle locations added to the NO KINGS Day rallies
Saturday, June 14th, another way to exercise our spirit of power and love, not fear. Now in Durham, Chapel Hill, and Hillsborough as well as Cary, Pittsboro, Clayton and Raleigh, the rallies are non-partisan, peaceful, and in defense of the American principles we hold dear – democracy, accountability, and the rule of law. - Reminder: You are invited to Gather at the Globe
in Downtown Raleigh for a prayer service for the planet this Sunday, June 1, 3-4 pm. - Join a conversation about How To End Christian Nationalism with Amanda Taylor, author, lawyer and head of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, on June 4, 7:00pm online or in person at Greenwood Forest Baptist in Cary. Also hosted by the NC Council of Churches and Pastors for NC Children.
1. Save the date for the next Goose is Loose – ICCT’s 2025 annual gathering
It’s on the afternoon of Saturday, September 20th in Chapel Hill and it’s named for the wild goose representing the spirit.
We are beyond thrilled to bring everyone together in person again this year. It’s a great way to strengthen our ties with each other and strengthen the Creation Care community in the Triangle.
You may remember the watchword of our ’23 and ’24 gatherings – The Goose is Loose, based on the Celtic tradition of representing the Spirit as a “wild goose.” It reveals a spirit that is passionate… noisy…courageous… cannot be tamed. And we fully expect that spirit to surround and inhabit our next gathering.
We’ll meet at the Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Church in Chapel Hill. The church grounds open directly onto the beautiful Coker Arboretum where we plan a reflective walk – opening ourselves to inspiration from the natural world.
We’re excited to offer even more inspiration from terrific speakers, special interest groups, and opportunities to get better acquainted with ICCT leaders and members of faith communities across the Triangle region. We will also celebrate “SUN Day” with Third Act, a weekend lifting up the gift and power of clean energy and the urgent need to stand up to those who are doing everything they can to stand in its way.
You’re invited to bring a group from your congregation. Please talk it up. Last year some faith communities filled one or two tables.
Creative planning is in full swing with ICCT VP Joe Rabenstine taking the lead. Be on the lookout for program and speaker announcements. We’ll need lots of help getting ready and also on the day itself. Contact us with your suggestions, your questions, and your interests in volunteering at ICCTriangle@gmail.com. Thank you.
2. They promised “advanced recycling” for plastics and delivered toxic air polluntion instead
Plastic pyrolysis equipment at the Braven Environmental facility in Zebulon, N.C. on Sept. 17, 2023.
Photo: Schuyler Mitchell / The Intercept
So-called “advanced recycling” has been in the news lately, so the ICCT Advocacy Team decided to find out what it is and if it’s a good thing. Here’s what we discovered – there’s nothing advanced about it, and it’s not really recycling! It creates harmful air pollution and chemical wastes. And now the plastics industry is pushing federal and NC state legislation to evade current air pollution controls on plants that would make it worse. Make your voice heard in opposition – contact your representatives using the easy links at the bottom.
We already have a so-called “advanced recycling” plant in Zebulon that’s owned by Braven Environmental and has had many environmental violations. Read about it here. Another plant is proposed for Fayetteville, a community already plagued with environmental injustices.
How the process works: According to Moms Clean Air Force, “The terms ‘chemical recycling’ and ‘advanced recycling’ generally refer to technologies that seek to break down or deconstruct plastic into its chemical building blocks. Most facilities use what are called pyrolysis and gasification, processes that burn plastic trash and turn it into harmful air pollution and chemical wastes. Some of the outputs created by chemical recycling facilities are burned again later as hazardous waste or as heavily contaminated industrial fuels, releasing additional toxic air pollution. This is not recycling!” (1)
How the plastics industry is trying to evade pollution controls: “The plastics lobby is trying to convince state and federal lawmakers, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), that burning plastics in chemical recycling facilities should not count as incineration. They want to change the classification of chemical recycling from ‘incineration’ to ‘manufacturing’ or ‘recycling, or to redefine plastic trash as ‘not solid waste,’ as a way to evade air pollution controls. Such a determination would leave companies free to emit unlimited amounts of harmful air pollution without any monitoring, reporting, or control technologies. In addition, if reclassified, many of these facilities would qualify for subsidies and tax breaks.” (1)
Make your voice heard and oppose so-called “advanced recycling”:
1) To the NC Department of Environmental Quality: Contact the NC DEQ today and tell them to reject Waste Energy Corp’s plastic burning facility in Fayetteville.
2) In the NC General Assembly: Let your state legislators know that you oppose HB 605, Definitions of Advanced Recycling. It passed the House and is now in the Committee On Rules and Operations of the Senate. You can also contact the members of that committee. Find their emails and phone numbers.
3) In the US Congress: Tell your reps you do not support so-called “advanced recycling.”
Source: Moms Clean Air Force, “Chemical Recycling” 101: Fact Sheet, Released: October 2023
~~ Submitted by Bobbi Mullins, co-leader of the ICCT Advocacy Team
3. Take a stroll in the JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh
Enjoy the afternoon with Erin Salisbury and Rev. Christian McIvor from ICCT’s Multi-Faith Team as we focus on some passages of wisdom from different faith traditions and their approach to Creation, Sunday, June 1st, 2:00-3:00pm. The registration deadline has been extended for walk-ins.
The Multi-Faith team is inviting you to an afternoon at the JC Raulston Arboretum. Come on June 1st as we walk around and take in the scenery. We will be deepening our spirituality through meditation while we enjoy time at the arboretum. You are invited to bring a quote from your faith tradition that you think exemplifies your tradition’s approach to creation; we will also bring some quotes to read. We hope to take a lot of photos, so please bring a camera as well! We’ll meet at the Gathering Lawn at 2:00 pm. Snacks will be provided. Please bring your own water bottle. You’re welcome to stay longer if you’d like to explore more. If the weather is bad, it will be rescheduled.
Walk-ins, please let Erin know to expect you – esalisbury2000@gmail.com.
~~ Submitted by Erin Salisbury co-chair of the Multi-Faith Team.
4. Three more Triangle locations added for the NO KINGS Day rally
on Saturday, June 14th, another way to exercise our spirit of power and love, not fear. Now in Durham, Chapel Hill, and Hillsborough as well as Cary, Pittsboro, Clayton and Raleigh, the rallies are non-partisan, peaceful, and in defense of the American principles we hold dear – democracy, accountability, and the rule of law.
ICCT is sharing this information because we believe that now, more than ever, it’s important to protect our democracy in order to protect Creation from environmental destruction, extinctions, and the climate crisis.
The organizers say this is a peaceful, de-escalation-focused event. There is no place at the rally for violence, intimidation, or hate. The organizers welcome calm, respectful voices who want to help shape a future rooted in mutual respect and civic responsibility.
Bring your signs, your friends, and your belief that the United States was never meant to have kings.
Get the details and varying times for these locations:
5. Reminder: You are invited to Gather at the Globe in Downtown Raleigh for a prayer service for the planet on Sunday, June 1, 3-4pm
NC Catholics Caring for our Common Home is hosting a prayer service for our planet on Sunday, June 1, 3-4pm, by the globe at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh (11 W. Jones St.). Be a protector of the planet and bring a sign of what you are praying and working to protect. Hope to see you there. For more information, contact socialconcern@hnojnc.org.
~~ Submitted by Barbara Molinari Quinby, ICCT Liaison to Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral
6. Join a conversation about How To End Christian Nationalism with Amanda Taylor
author, lawyer and head of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, on June 4, 7:00pm online or in person at Greenwood Forest Baptist in Cary. Also hosted by the NC Council of Churches and Pastors for NC Children.
A member of the Texas and Supreme Court bar, Tyler has experience working in Congress, in a private legal practice, and serving as a law clerk for a federal judge. A committed advocate of religious liberty and the separation of church and state, she has testified before Congress about Christian Nationalism. Her recent book will be available at the event.
Greenwood Forest Baptist Church is at 110 SE Maynard Rd in Cary. Please help the hosts by registering in advance for the in-person or virtual option here: http://bit.ly/CACNCary.
