REFLECTION: The Spirituality of Oil Spills Rev. Dr. Elaine Beth Peresluha
The Gulf of Mexico oil spill began April 20 with the explosion and fire on the drilling rig Deepwater Horizon; the blast killed 11 workers and began poured oil into the Gulf from a blown-out undersea well. The rig was owned by Transocean Ltd. and leased by BP PLC, which is in charge of cleanup and containment.
CONTAINMENT
The federal government has asked BP in a letter to "speed up the process" of containing the huge amounts of gushing oil. Coast Guard Rear Adm. James A. Watson sent a letter to BP officials on Friday expressing frustration with the overall pace of the effort. BP has struggled with several efforts to contain the oil. The latest cap installed on the blown-out well is capturing about 650,000 gallons of oil a day, but large quantities of oil are still spilling into the sea.
Then there are US-BRITAIN relationships
President Barack Obama reassured Prime Minister David Cameron that his frustration over the oil spill is not an attack on Britain as the two leaders tried to soothe trans-Atlantic tensions over the disaster. Cameron's office said the two leaders held a "warm and constructive" telephone conversation for more than 30 minutes. Cameron's office said the prime minister "expressed his sadness at the ongoing human and environmental catastrophe," but stressed BP's economic importance. Obama recognized that BP is a multinational company, "and that frustrations about the oil spill had nothing to do with national identity."
ALABAMA OIL
Along the Gulf Coast, Alabama's beaches took their worst hit yet from the oil spill on as brown crude slathered beaches along the coast. On the beach, pools of crude oil as much as 4 inches deep hit the beach in waves, and the surf were a dark, ugly shade of brown. No one was in the water, and the beaches that normally are packed with people this time of year were virtually deserted. Stinking, dark piles of oil dried in the hot sun, extending as much as 12 feet from the water's edge for as far as the eye could see.
COMMERCIAL FISHING
U.S. shrimpers who comb seas unaffected by the oil-slickened Gulf are raising prices as demand for their catch rises, bringing a potential respite from some tough years. Fishermen in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Texas, whose waters have not been affected by oil, say prices for their shrimp have gone up as processing plants that normally buy Gulf seafood turn to other docks for their supply. The federal government has declared fishery disasters for Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, which could bring emergency payments for commercial fishermen.
Then there are the animals, the grasses, the fish, the predators and the prey whose cycle of eat and be eaten has the smell and slick of oil upon it- and the volunteers who wipe birds
Volunteers need to be trained- as a:
Basic level 1 volunteer) who would never come in contact with spilled oil (helping with beach cleanup, for example)
Level 2 (Contractors and Paraprofessionals, a contractor who will be conducting work at the staging site Level 2 has a BP safety procedure that has to be instructed by someone who has been trained by BP or PEC Premier.
Level 3 Wildlife Recovery and Rehabilitation, a trained Wildlife Recovery & Rehabilitation volunteer, who will be helping with the clean up of wildlife. It is a graded certification course. OSHA reviewed the Level 3 training package from PEC Premier and give special support for BP to use this training package, specifically for this incident. For this first wave of level 3 training, we are giving priority to the wildlife specialists and BP contractors.
Level 4 volunteers, have direct contact to petroleum (this would include boat captains and crew who are already contracted to BP). Those who are not contracted must work through the Vessel of Opportunity program. Safety, Marine and Hazwoper training is delivered if their vessel is selected to be contracted through that program.
SAFE BEACH CLEAN-UP CLASSES
How do we listen to the information, opinions, and intensity of anger, frustration, and fear- swirling around us like spilled oil?
How have you been handling it? Turn off the news- sit by your TV or computer screen taking in the images of pelicans, plumes of smoke?
Since September 11, 2001 we have not been faced with as monumental media dominating, earth shattering moment- a wake up call- a moment to stop, listen, and be reminded of what is most important
WE have been given a chance- once again to think about how we do business- the opportunity is there in every media message and quote-
The fishermen, not wanting a moratorium on the drilling- because they know the economic lively hood of the gulf regions depends equally on both- oil drilling and fishing
How do you reconcile that?
Not so long after the Unitarians and Universalists merged in 1961 the new Unitarian Universalist Association adopted a Statement of Principles and Purposes. -Our attempt to verbalize what it is we hold in common and to somehow describes a vision for our world.
Unlike creeds and doctrines... these principles and purposes do not demand our allegiance for membership in this church...rather, they serve each of us, members and friends, much as the stars do the navigator... they are not our destination destinations...but guides to set our course by.
It is important to revisit these principles over and over again. They serve us as we go about the tasks of daily living.... as a measure of our progress in our development of moral integrity and spiritual maturity.... as a compass for direction when we are confused and faithless. Like now- our faith offers us a way towards reconciliation of conflict and a moral compass with which to navigate confusing, conflicting viewpoints
The first principle is, “to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person.” Our heritage lies in the belief that each and every human being is of infinite worth and value, and should be treated with dignity and respect. Our principles have no disclaimers. It does not say respect the dignity and worth of every person- except oil companies- or deep water drillers- We are not part of an interdependent web of all existence- sometimes, when it is easy or feels good. We do not choose the democratic process or world community only sometimes….
Spiritual practice means that we work at the implementation of principles and purposes all the time- each moment- as parents, as neighbors, as teachers, doctors, or committee conveners. That is why it is practice- and sometimes we do it well and feel good about ourselves- and sometimes we do it very poorly and we try again- we try again…
Does anyone remember Susan Sarandon’s movie" Dead Man Walking"? In it, a nun is called to minister to the men on death row. Her ministry was not to judge the men, not to redeem them, not to convert them.... but to simply be with them, compassionately.... to help them to reconcile their crimes and to find peace within themselves before they died. Her job was to help them own responsibility and to feel remorse so that they could die with dignity and worth in spite of their crimes. The nun herself became suspect.... judged and blamed by the families of the victims... Yet she could do no less than to love the perpetrator in spite of the crime he had committed... to find a way in her own heart to see beyond the hideousness of the crime into the human heart, and somewhere find mercy and love and compassion in spite of the horror and pain of the deeds committed. In doing so, she saw the dignity and the worth of the human being without forgiving, judging, or condoning the behavior. The criminal behavior was immoral, unacceptable and condemned.... but within the firm boundary of condemnation of crimes... love, compassion and respect can be expressed -to both victims and perpetrator. Learning to love the human in spite of the crime stretched Sarandon’s heart to new levels of spiritual awareness... and the gift she bestowed upon the condemned man increased the capacity of each person witness to her compassion, to open their own hearts to healing and redemption.
In all of the world’s great spiritual traditions, love they neighbor- and forgiveness is the essential ingredient to spiritual maturity or enlightenment. We cannot begin to experience the awe of gratitude if we are carrying the burdens of anger, hurt and resentment. Yet many people find love or forgiveness an impossible ordeal.
This oil spill offers the opportunity to practice both- love and forgiveness- and only form that place is any reasonable solution – long term withdrawal and exit from the financial, political, social consumptive wasteland we have found ourselves.
Take a moment of silence. Imagine the immensity of the connections we each have to BP oil
Do you heat you home with oil? Do you drive a car, run a lawnmower, use electricity- shop at a store?
Whose spill is this?
Imagine the fishermen, boat owners, beach resort planners, vacationers, children, and beaches?
Imagine the pelicans, seagulls, fish, crab, shrimp, and oysters- the grasses, the seaweed, the coral, the sand, the beauty, and sound of a wave?
Whose spill is this?
Then hold the intention to forgive her/him/them. Say the word, forgive to yourself. . Notice what the suggestion of
Forgiving persons responsible for this oil spill evokes for you. Acknowledge and forgive your self for your dependence on oil- your consumptive choices-
What is your response to my suggestions? Anger? Denial? Guilt? Frustrations?
Notice –Observe- Breath- Practice….
Respect, forgiveness, process, raises all sorts of reactions in us.
Would forgiving BP that they are right- and we are wrong?
Whose oil spill is this? Who needs to clean up what?
Would acknowledging our dependence on oil make us bad and wrong?
Does forgiving mean we have to give up our anger?
If we forgive do we have to forget? Does it mean that we condone unacceptable, corrupt, unsafe, or extreme behaviors?
We can ask and reflect on the very same significance of love- as in love thy neighbor- or respect the dignity and worth of every person- how do we do that in the context of an earth and ocean and life shattering oil spill?
We practice.
We practice respect, love and forgiveness and somewhere we notice something new in our hearts- compassion. Compassion for the complications- and with that moment of compassion- you will notice your self breathing- slower, more deeply – and there will probably be a tear in your eye- a sadness in your heart- for it is in engaging the loss, the sadness the tragedy with out blame that our spiritual selves engage- and we mourn.
Love- and Forgiveness seem like trite words- overused, underrated- yet both offer a bold step towards a peaceful heart. Love and forgiveness offer an affirmation of personal power that grows from our authentic acceptance of our own worthiness as human beings.
Respect, and Forgiveness affirm:
Our understanding that mistakes are opportunities for growth
Our cultivation of compassion and belief that the extension of respect to others and us is the glue that holds the universe together. From our intentional choice to engage respect and forgiveness, we create appreciation for all of life, which open us to an experience of peace, relationship, personal power and frees our attention to look out in wonder. Released for what ever binds us. Spirituality matured- is freedom.
Miracle does not lie only in the amazing
Living through and defeat of danger
Miracles become miracles
In the clear achievement that is earned
To work with things is not hubris
When building the association beyond words:
Denser and denser the pattern becomes
Being carried along in not enough
Take your well worn disciplined strengths
And stretch them
Between two opposing poles
Because inside human beings
Is where God learns.