Why am I walking? First as an apology. I am sorry, my daughter, for leaving you this injured earth and these suffering creatures. I am sorry to all who have already been displaced and suffer now.

I walk for repentance - literally talking steps to turn away from the fossil fuel empire. I walk to imagine a world with new, safe, renewable energy choices that are not controlled by powerful energy companies but instead harnessed by the powerful gifts of nature - wind, sun, water and soil.

I walk to join others with the same passion to create something new for our future - showing the physical manifestation of our tenacity and fierceness. It has been years since we have delivered overtures to divest from fossil fuels. I hope this walk will help to tell the story and to demonstrate that we will not go away , give up or lose interest in divestment.

In the evolution of my activism, the journey started with strong will and brute force - believing that talking much and reciting facts would persuade the body. Then there was the realization that this was a moral issue and that this reframing would stir those that were not awake. My native friends have taught me that to make change, the first step is, "getting right with yourself". SO I believe of all the motivations for taking this walk, that this journey will be mostly about that, the act of shedding the noise and letting go so that I can listen to the spirit.

It’s time for the denomination to put its money where its faith is. The PC(USA) must join the divestment movement that has already taken trillions of dollars out of the fossil fuel industry. By doing so, the denomination will no longer  profit from an industry that has contributed to climate change. Hurricanes in Puerto Rico, drought in California, rising sea levels along the global coasts — natural disasters exacerbated by climate change which affect Presbyterians and all creation.

Our faith calls us to love God, creation, and neighbor with our whole selves, and June 1-16, 2018 we will love creation with each step we take. The PCUSA Walk for a Fossil Free World will take us from Louisville, Kentucky (the headquarters of the Presbyterian Church [USA]) to St. Louis, Missouri, in time for the PC(USA)’s 223rd General Assembly. Our goals are to: 

1. Call upon the PC(USA) 223rd General Assembly do divest from fossil fuels
2. Center the voices and experiences of people already affected by climate change
3. Reduce our own carbon footprint as we travel to GA

You're invited to join! More details about the Walk can be found at PCUSAwalk.org