Happy Eco News

Last Sunday, we held a special service in honor of Earth Day! All of the elements of the service (songs, readings, prayers, sharing by River members, etc.) were selected to help us meditate on and celebrate God’s beautiful creation. And, after the service, we held an Arts & Crafts Fair to raise money for the important work of We ACT for Environmental Justice.

During her message, Pastor Alison said this:
"There are so many ways to encounter the God of Love, who is in us and with us always. Creation is one of these access points — an ongoing source of God’s revelation and presence. God’s beautiful creation has the power to teach us, to heal us, and to transform us. But only if we have the eyes to see and the ears to hear. And only if we are collectively inspired to love what God has created — to honor, respect and care for this planet we call Earth."

As we think together about ways that we can engage in creation care, we'd like to share one helpful resource: Happy Eco News.

Happy Eco News was founded in 2018 to counteract the near-constant drip of negative environmental news by providing readers with positive information about the environment and the people working to improve it. Their goal is not to encourage folks to live in denial or to embrace toxic positivity, but rather to harness the power of hope.

​These are the beliefs that drive their work:

• You want to help:​ Most people naturally desire to do good in the world.​
• Hope sparks action: ​We know we must stay engaged with environmental news to make positive changes for our planet. However, constant negativity can lead to burnout. We need hope to spark action.
• Good news matters: To maintain hope and stay informed, we must hear about the positive changes all around us. Good news inspires us to take action.
• Nature connection is key: It’s hard to want to protect something you don’t know or love. Spending time in nature is crucial — it helps us understand and appreciate what we’re fighting for.

Happy Eco News recommends finding a balance between "awareness of challenges and plenty of reasons for hope." This approach, resonates with how we, at the River, often speak about the nature of life and faith.

• Life is so beautiful and life if so hard.
  
• Pain, suffering, and death are all parts of the human experience and God’s resurrection power is also at work.
  
• We live in the both/and, the already but not yet.

So, when it comes to environmental news (and really anything in life), consider spending some time thinking about how you can better find a balance between awareness of challenges and reasons to hope. As you read positive news stories and allow them inspire you to take action. And be intentional about engaging with God's beautiful creation!

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