“The Earth is in distress and is calling to us, sending us signs of the extremity of its imbalance through earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and storms, drought, unprecedented heat. There are now indications that its ecosystem as a whole may even be approaching a “turning point” or “state shift” of irreversible change with unforeseeable consequences.”

Llewellyn Vaughn-Lee

People who love the great outdoors and who understand the human impact on our environment ask me, “Is God angry?” The question sometimes harbors an accusation about “your God”. Sometimes, it is a desperate question that underlies a hope that God really is something/someone and will intervene.

The answer to that question — is God angry– depends on how you understand God. If God is a white man sitting up in the clouds, then probably yes. He would be likely to order death and destruction for our bad behavior. Perhaps God would burn cities, flood the planet, or send 10 more plagues. Something epic, biblical proportions.  This God exists to force people to behave and punishes those who do not. But that requires God to have emotions and feelings. Happy, sad, angry. This is the Old Testament God who breaks his own commandments (i.e., thou shall not kill) repeatedly. This is the God of the institutional church, which exists to keep people in line.

I think of God differently, as an unknowable force that is sensed but not seen with our eyes. It is not full of emotions and retribution, but more like a guide to a realm we cannot understand with any of our senses.  The realm is that of wisdom and it holds some greater purpose. This God is not punishing; rather, we suffer the consequences of our actions. So, no, God is not angry, preparing to bring a world-destroying calamity upon us. We can and are doing that on our own just as efficiently as some man-like vengeful God.

Here is the real question: Why aren’t humans angry?  Climate change (and possibly a 6^th massive extinction by 2100) is the result of the worst of human behavior: greed, selfishness, disrespected for natural resources, and a human-centric view of the world. We can see this easily if we just focus on our own, short, US history. New World settlers saw the abundant resources here and set out to grab it all. We robbed and decimated every ecosystem we settled into– forested areas, the waterways, the great plains, mineral-rich mountains. We nearly killed off the buffalo, wolves, and grizzlies, and we have polluted our water and air. We trampled down people who were here long before us, a people whose spirituality respected the earth.

“Behold, my brothers, the spring has come;

The earth has received the embraces of the sun and

We shall soon see the results of that love!

 Every seed has awakened and so has all animal life.

It is through this mysterious power that we too have our being and we therefore yield to our neighbors, even our animal neighbors, the same right as ourselves, to inhabit this land.”

Tatanka Iyotake, Sitting Bull.

Another part of the anger question: “Why aren’t we angry about the people who think human-caused climate and environmental change is a myth? Sara Palin recently said that her approach to oil production is “Drill baby drill”. Why did we elect a person who will continue putting corporations and profit above our nurturing environment? Why can’t we see that the high stakes agricultural industry is a major demon when it comes to our environment?  Why are people afraid of change? We are truly at a crossroads, and the consensus seems to be, “let’s keep on destroying our natural environment to gratify our desires.” We will figure a way out, or maybe colonize another planet.  We don’t need to change a thing.

“The bells of mindfulness are calling out to us, trying to wake us up, reminding us to look deeply at our impact on the planet”

Thich Nhat Hanh

To ask if God is angry begs the question, “Why aren’t we angry?” The bad guys (right-wing politicians, clergy, and corporations) are few, compared to the numbers of average person out there trying to get by. Why do we let them control us and determine our future? Why don’t we demand more? Why are we so compliant? What are we going to do? The questions are endless and God’s anger or lack thereof is only a distraction.

“Sit, be still, and listen

For you are drunk,

And we are at the edge of the roof’

Rumi