Decker’s Creek in Morgantown, West Virginia is turning orange.
Instead of running clean and clear like it once did, the water now reflects the heavy metals that have leached into the creeks and ground water. This is a common story in Appalachia, where environmental injustice and exploitative land use directly harm residents’ air and water.
In “What We Sing as Creation Cries Out,” Kelsey Kramer McGinnis reports on musicians who are leading the church in lament, exultation, and action related to the natural world.
“Images of rivers, clean and living water, permeate biblical prophecy and poetry,” writes McGinnis. “They are reminders of the world God created and intended humans to inherit.”
Climate Vigil Songs, the latest release from The Porter’s Gate Worship Project, brings such images to mind in worship and prompts believers to remember that “’the kingdom of heaven is at hand,’ while insisting on participation in the work that still needs to be done.”
As the global church celebrates the Season of Creation (September 1 until October 4), may we sing and act as those who delight in bringing beauty to earth.
