Dominion isn’t Destruction: Letter from the ED
As we take time to honor Earth Day, I want to ground us in a truth that is both spiritual and practical:
In the beginning, we were given dominion not domination.
We were given responsibility not permission to destroy.
Somewhere along the way, that got twisted.
What was meant to be stewardship became extraction.
What was meant to be care became convenience.
And what was meant to be shared became sacrificed especially in communities like ours.
Here in the Metro East, we don’t have to imagine environmental injustice, we live it.
We see it in the flooding that keeps coming back.
We feel it in the air that too often carries more than it should.
We question it in the water we’re told is “safe,” but doesn’t always feel that way.
These conditions didn’t happen by accident.
They are the result of decisions, policies, and priorities.
But here’s what I need you to hold onto:
“Dominion isn’t destruction. And our communities are not disposable.”
Dominion isn’t destruction. And our communities are not disposable.
At United Congregations of Metro-East, we believe Earth Day is more than a moment; it’s a call.
A call to organize.
A call to protect what has been neglected.
A call to build a future where our communities are not the dumping ground, but the driving force behind sustainable change.
That’s why we are:
Developing leaders from directly impacted communities
Advocating for policies that prioritize people over pollution
Working toward a sustainable, community-rooted future for the Metro-East
We are not just responding to environmental injustice, we are working to transform it and that transformation requires all of us.
So as we honor Earth Day, I invite you to take a step:
CTRL+ALT+DATA
Saturday, April 25, 2026
Bring someone with you into this movement
And refuse to accept that harm is inevitable for our communities
We were called to tend the garden, not abandon it. To protect life, not profit from its destruction.
And if we are going to reclaim that calling, it will take a community that is organized, informed, and committed to something better.
Let’s be that community.
In solidarity and hope,
