Offering Companionship in a Time of Climate Concern

Offering Companionship in a Time of Climate Concern

by Jennifer Revill, TLC Communications Coordinator

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In the middle of July, in the high heat of summer, I was fortunate to attend a week-long retreat at Rolling Ridge. Facilitated brilliantly by the BTS Center, based in Portland, Maine https://thebtscenter.org/ the retreat was designed as a gathering for writers (and others) whose creative work is focused on ecospirituality, the spiritual perspective that integrates ecological awareness with a sense of the sacred. Ecospirituality places emphasis on the interconnectedness of all beings and the Earth we share, and urges us toward the sacred work of repair.

It was inspirational to be at my familiar retreat house, immersed in this rich topic with my co-retreatants. Many were clergy. Others were published writers and poets and therapists. There was a doctoral candidate working on his dissertation. Many were deeply involved, I mean boots-on-the-ground involved, in climate activism through teaching, writing, speaking, and other forms of leadership. I loved being embedded in a group of such thoughtful, committed, and articulate people.

So, why did I feel a little bit out of place? What had brought me to this gathering was my personal writing project, a hyper-local memoir about the relationship of my life to a particular place on Earth that has spiritual significance for me. I am not a climate activist, nor a leader in that area. I seldom find myself in spaces where people are so committedly considering the effects of climate change on the planet and on human life and spirit.

But as the week went on, I came to understand why else I had been called to this gathering, and why I belonged to this community: because of my work as a spiritual director. I was here to reflect on how human beings respond to the profound changes underway globally with climate, and to consider the ways we can support one another, through the director/directee relationship, in light of these changes.

Climate crisis can trigger ecological grief, a sense of sorrow and loss tied to environmental change and loss of the familiar. This may manifest as sadness over disappearing ecosystems, fear for our children’s future, or frustration when political and economic systems fail to help. We may sorrow over the loss of wilderness and species, or feel guilt over personal and collective actions (or inactions) that have contributed to the ongoing problems.

All of us can and should learn about the many practical actions we can take, and the policy changes we can advocate for. But the work of our spirits is inner transformation, connection and healing. Helping our directees cultivate moral clarity, resilience, and a renewed sense of wonder for the natural world are steps toward that healing. We are in a unique position to create a safe, reflective space for them to work through the complex emotions of ecological grief, and help them shape their unique response.

On the Wednesday of the retreat, the sky over Lake Cochichewick turned pale yellow, and the wind kicked up in heated gusts that rattled the surface of the water into whitecaps. Then it poured hot rain. The smoke from many ongoing wildfires in Ontario and Minnesota had traveled all the way to Massachusetts, coloring the sky with toxic-looking streaks and a raw scent, with particles that made my eyes sore. It was a stark reminder of what our group had gathered to write, and talk, and pray about.

In a poem that he read aloud to us that day, one of the participants referred to “the dying earth.” I cannot say that I know the earth is dying, but still, that phrase grabbed me by the heart. It helped me see how critical it is that we, as spiritual directors, be prepared to support our companions in this area of concern when it shows up in spiritual direction. How can we equip ourselves for such discussions, and how can we offer both practical and soulful assistance to our directees? Here are a few ideas to consider:

• Create a safe, non‑judgmental space. Listen deeply to whatever the directee brings to the session – be it fear, despair, or hope – and validate their experiences.
• Understand that directees many have a sense of helplessness, but not necessarily hopelessness. Assist them in discerning how they may care for themselves as they gather confidence and knowledge to work incrementally toward solutions.
• Offer names for the complex feelings that your directees might be experiencing: ecological grief, future hopelessness, action frustration.
• Listen for the holy connections between the directee’s instincts, feelings and desires, and the call of the Divine. Help them reflect on their ongoing connections to both God and to what I learned in the retreat to call the "more than human" world.
• Explore different contemplative and spiritual practices that may support them during this time of discernment. Practices like the Examen (noting what brings life and what drains it) can be applied holistically to the climate crisis, as can prayer with ecological themes (e.g., hearing “the sounds of the Earth crying” as Thích Nhất Hạnh suggests). Contemplative prayer may also be helpful.
• Model hope and resilience through your own faith, and be sure to support yourself through self-care and spiritual practices that nourish you.

Framing the climate crisis as a summons to spiritual growth reminds us that we may continue to act from a place of love and faith, not just fear, and help directees move toward empowered, compassionate action if they so choose.