An ecumenical letter in advance of Earth Day

‘Climate justice is Easter work’ leaders say ahead of Earth Day. ELCIC National Bishop Susan Johnson, ACC Acting Primate Anne Germond and National Indigenous Archbishop Chris Harper have written a letter to the church on biodiversity, climate justice and Easter for Earth Day.

View the original letter here.

April 9, 2025

Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain, but if it dies it bears much fruit. – John 12:24

The rhythms of the earth connect us to Easter.
Easter connects us to the rhythms of the earth.
Life and death and life.
Dying and bearing fruit.

The calling of disciples to love the earth and to address the climate crisis is rooted in God’s intimate act of creating a beautiful, diverse, life-giving, life-sustaining world—a world that is full of the breath of God. It is also rooted in the Easter story. Jesus is buried in the earth and rises from the ground. Jesus is buried for the sake of love and rises to renew all our relationships.

Earth Day falls conspicuously close to Easter Sunday this year. The theme for Earth Day 2025 is biodiversity. The goal is to encourage as many citizens, municipalities, and organizations as possible to reconnect with nature and better understand the importance of preserving biodiversity for ecosystem balance, food security and resilience to climate change.

This Earth Day, we invite you to see God’s beloved world with Easter eyes, to hear the calls of Earth Day with Easter ears, to regard the work of climate justice as Easter work, and to celebrate Easter by renewing your commitment to love the earth.

We give thanks for work and witness that is ongoing:

• The Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous Ministries offering witness and teaching to recognize that the purity of the land base provides for all our needs.
• The Pilgrimage for the Planet!, an ecumenical initiative, spearheaded by the Climate Justice Committee of the Eastern Synod of the ELCIC, that is organizing a bike journey and rally May 10-12, 2025.
• The ecumenical For the Love of Creation, coming together as people of faith in the hopes of making a meaningful contribution in the next decade towards a sustainable future for all life on the planet. This includes posting events and resources for Earth week – April 20 to 27.
• Creation Matters, encouraging Anglicans to engage in climate justice, including providing worship resources.
• The Parish Engagement Resource for Social and Ecological Justice, developed by ACC and ELCIC to help congregations with discernment and engagement around joint priorities.
• Task Force on Carbon Neutrality encouraging Lutherans to engage in climate justice, including posting monthly reflections.
• Zero Emission Churches, dedicated to taking action to reduce the greenhouse gases church buildings emit.
• Jubilee: Turn Debt into Hope, a global ecumenical initiative that calls for debt cancellation and systemic financial reform to address the debt crisis faced by the Global South and Indigenous communities.

We need each other as we work for climate justice—in all our diversity, creativity, humility and faith. We need the hope and energy of Easter as we make this long journey. Thanks be to God that we do not walk alone and that transformation is possible. Thanks be to God who calls us to bear fruit.

God of new life, we give you thanks for the Earth. Renew our hearts, minds, bodies, and spirits, that we may deeply know your love for all that is. Guide us as we strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth. Bless us with grace to hear your call to be a diverse, inclusive community that celebrates all and upholds life-giving relationships. Bless us with faith to follow you and help us to bear much fruit. Amen.

Yours in Christ,

The Rev. Susan Johnson
National Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

The Most Rev. Chris Harper
National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop
Anglican Church of Canada

The Most Rev. Anne Germond
Acting Primate
Anglican Church of Canada