Joyce Rupp was my wonderful guest on the “Your Radical Truth Podcast Show” called “Boundless Compassion: As a Way of Life.” The subject of global warming, often ignored in the past, was unfortunately dismissed by many as completely irrelevant to their everyday lives.
In Joyce’s book, Boundless Compassion, she mentions the words of Sally Ride, the first female USA astronaut.
She related our Earth’s atmosphere to the thickness of the fuzz on a tennis ball, emphasizing that it separates us from the vacuum of space. This statement highlights the relevance of every person living on Earth and the thin and fragile nature of our atmosphere.
Knowing this stark truth, what does it mean to you? Does it inspire you to contemplate your own everyday existence and environment from a different perspective? Joyce contrasted her lived experience of nature on a farm with the lack of connection that many individuals have with nature.
The sad fact is that the precious gift of God’s presence in nature exists 365 days a year, yet it remains hidden from far too many people. For them, nature is completely foreign, and there is no immediate urge to become involved with our environment.
Joyce quoted sentences from Pope Francis’ encyclical, ‘Laudato Si’: Care for Our Common Home. This unique encyclical connects the topic of the environment to spirituality. She states, “The universe enfolds in God, which fills it completely. There is a mystical meaning to be found in a leaf, a mountain trail, a dewdrop, or a poor person’s face. The idea is not only to focus on the action of God in the soul but also to discover God in all things.” She further quotes St. Bonaventure, saying that contemplation deepens as we feel the working of God’s grace with our hearts and learn to encounter God in creatures outside of ourselves.
We all have a part to play in safeguarding our environment. Go out and explore this gift that God has shared with us every day of the year. Draw from its spectacular beauty, its palpable life-giving presence, and be moved by its precious spirituality.
Enjoy the full episode and more about Joyce Rupp at 007: Boundless Compassion as a Way of Life with Joyce Rupp – Your Radical Truth
