In the encyclical Laudato Si’, Pope Francis describes Integral Ecology as “a vision capable of taking into account every aspect of today’s global crises.” He writes, “We are faced not with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather with one complex crisis which is both social and environmental. Strategies for a solution demand an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting nature.” As we celebrate Dr. King’s legacy this week, let us consider how he challenges us to see the interrelatedness of our contemporary social and ecological crises. Although it can be tempting to limit Dr. King’s influence to the explicit racial injustice prevalent in his time, and to congratulate ourselves on having come so far from the dark reality of forced racial segregation, oppression, and violence, Dr. King’s thought should inspire us to see the interconnections between injustices and to engage in solutions that address them accordingly, recognizing that while injustice exists, we have not come far enough.
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Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. 2019 from SSND Atlantic Midwest on Vimeo.
