PRACTICE NEIGHBOR-LOVE

This Great Idea is based on numerous stories found in Dr. Cynthia Moe-Lobeda’s Building a Moral Economy: Pathways for People of Courage (Fortress, 2024) and recent calls to action.

In Building a Moral Economy, Dr. Moe-Lobeda invites us to consider ‘Ten Fingers on the Hands of Healing’. In describing the second ‘finger’, Live Lightly, she asks us to consider Dr. Emilie Townes’s questions, ‘What is ‘for our enjoyment at the expense of other people’s lives?’ What is the ‘true cost of low prices’?

She then shares the story of  Tamisha, a once-talkative girl who goes silent for days. When nightmares reveal the depths of her feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness, Tamisha’s moms fully realize her climate despair. After lengthy conversations, ‘the family made a climate pact; they agreed to make three immediate changes in how they lived, and then each month to add a new change, and to maintain each new practice in the months to come. The changes would lower their carbon footprint. And, even more important, they agreed to be ‘public’ about it – to talk about this with other people, to invite others to join them, and bring this to their synagogue. One of Tanisha’s moms also agreed to bring the idea to her workplace. (See Moral Economy, pg. 140-141)

There was a fair amount of fear and potential loss in these decisions: both moms held low-paying jobs and had no extra time to instigate these changes. But they were committed to helping their daughter.

With each new household change they grew in confidence and conviction. They brought their synagogue along – and the commitment exceeds anyone’s expectations.

But one of Tamisha’s moms advises, ‘When changes are taken one step at a time, it’s not that big a deal… [However, if] you try to do it all at once it’s self-defeating.’

And, ‘A year down the road, this household is quite a different place!’ So is their synagogue, where the whole community, rallied by Tamisha’s youth group, decided to form a Dayenu Circle (learn more here).

Reading between the lines, Tamisha has gone from feeling ‘powerless and hopeless’ to feeling empowered and hopeful. Her parents and community heard her concerns and rallied to heal her and the planet – and it’s working! Along the way, writes Moe-Lobeda, ‘Tamisha and her family were teaching themselves and others new ways to practice neighbor-love.’

We know our young people are in crisis, with mental health concerns on the rise across the country and across demographics and identities.

Young peoples’ anxiety is often grounded in particular concerns, such as climate care, political division, concern about marginalized communities, and their own future – in relation to all the previous concerns. Congregations that engage in conversations where young people are encouraged to identify their worries, and then enact decisive changes to address those concerns, are ‘learning new ways to practice neighbor-love’. When these action steps are followed at home and in the congregational space – and made public, inviting the broader community to join in – communities begin to thrive, as do the young people (and adults!) within them.

Lent is a great time to build new practices into our daily lives.

Here are some tools to help your conversations:

  • What Moe-Lobeda calls, ‘climate despair’, I refer to as EcoAnxiety. We’ve got a Toolkit (which follows a similar trajectory as Tamisha’s story) available here.
  • Discern where individual and congregational gifts meet your community’s need(s).
  • The Web is created to support congregations in taking their next step in pursuing God’s call to justice.
    • Multiply your impact by joining an organization that is already doing the work you feel called to do. You do not need to ‘make it up as you go along’: let others lead while you put all your energy into doing what you are called to do.
    • Through The Web we hope every congregation will feel freed up to focus on their particular calling, knowing that God is calling other communities to work on other essential issues and concerns. Let this understanding be part of your own fuel and part of your public witness: you are joining with countless other congregations and organizations to address the multitude of crises facing God’s people!
    • Discover The Web here.

Join our Moral Economy Book Discussion Group, or let’s talk about starting another round through Lent!

Learn more about the Ten Fingers on the Hands of Healing in our Moral Economy Lenten Series: Chrysalis: Sacred Work; Courageous Transformation.

Dr. Cynthia Moe-Lobeda joins Dr. Kelly Sherman-Conroy at the EcoFaith Summit of the Upper Midwest: Earth’s Cries, Earth’s Call: Becoming Midwives of Hope for the Healing of Creation – April 5, 2025; Duluth, MN. Learn more here.