Circuit Writer

This week’s column (May 2-8) for The Tahlequah Christian.

———

The ongoing news of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico continues to be a source of consternation for me. As I listen to the ever-growing reports – 1,000 barrels per day leaking into the ocean has managed to grow to over 5,000 barrels per day – I am greatly concerned for the long term damage that this disaster will cause. The resulting oil slick, now estimated to be over 130 miles by 70 miles (roughly the size of the state of Delaware), could potentially cause an even greater disaster than the Exxon Valdez incident that coated Alaska’s Prince William Sound with roughly 250,000 barrels of crude oil.

I was heartened to see that Week of Compassion has already spoken on the issue of the oil spill. Sharing advice from a representative of our partners in the United Church of Christ, they asked people not to rush to Louisiana to volunteer their services, but instead to contact local agencies as to how they might best help. The expertise and specialized equipment required for oil spill cleanup makes it difficult to plug in volunteers without specialized training. It’s also a somber reminder of just how difficult the task will be as this massive oil slick continues to plague the ocean waters and drift toward our coastline.

This event should serve as a wakeup call to us in our country. In an interview on NPR, I heard about how oil spills have taken place in the Niger River delta of Nigeria on a yearly basis since 1969. If the connection to this being our problem isn’t immediately clear, the fact that the U.S. is one of Nigeria’s largest oil export partners should bring things into focus. Our nearly insatiable need for gasoline and other crude oil products indirectly contributes to the regular destruction of our earth’s already fragile ecosystem.

It’s one more reminder that our calling as Christians isn’t just to be, but to be good stewards. Our continued failures to extract and utilize the earth’s resources in a safe and responsible manner should sound a clarion call to more environmentally responsible practices and lifestyles. It’s never too late to start making a difference by limiting your vehicular travel or carpooling on trips with your neighbors, coworkers, and friends. Plain and simple: environmental justice is Gospel justice.

Living the hope of resurrection,

Clint