The problems of the Chesapeake Bay and of the ecological damage being done to the planet as a whole are much too big for personal or congregational efforts to make a major impact.  Governmental policies at local, state and national levels, as well as international agreements are needed to bring about the changes in resource utilization and pollution of land, water and air that are threatening our very existence.  Vigorous public debate is needed to bring about the societal changes that are urgently important, and it is important that people of faith should be actively involved in these debates.  The future of the planetary systems is a moral as well as a practical matter, and who is better equipped to speak to moral issue thna the faith communities within our society?

Concerns, that faith communities should not "meddle in politics," or that for congregations to involve themselves in public discourse would contravene the constitutional principle of separation of religion and politics, should not tie our hands in voicing our convictions about important issues facing our society.  

Advocacy has many aspects: educating the public; making personal approaches to legislators; writing opinion pieces for newspapers; participating in public demonstrations.  Our faith traditions and teachings  provide insights that should help inform public policy and it only as people of faith and communities of faith share these insights that their influence can be fully realized.