For Unitarian Universalists, Earth Day (April 22) has become a religious holiday.  We celebrate it faithfully, reminding ourselves the we are of the Earth, that our earthly existence depends on the Earth being a certain way.  In the 'Old Days' we used to be concerned with the pollution of land, water and air, and the immediate hazards of the pollution on our health and the health of other beings.  When Earth Day started, it was the era when rivers occasionally caught on fire because of the effluent that had been poured into them.  We had read Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, reminding us of the interdependence of life forms on our planet -- we reminded ourselves that when we get rid of something that we experience as a pest, we may also be getting rid of something that is essential for the survival of something we experience as beautiful and valued.  Even now, the populations of Osprey and Bald Eagles are still recovering from the plague that DDT turned out to be for them.

The lasting and religious legacy of our celebration of Earth Day through the years has been about the deep meaning of interconnectedness among all kinds of life.  We are all one.  Us humans, the Polar Bears, the Eagles, the mosquitoes that spread dengue fever, the viruses that bring us the flu.  The Earth does not belong to us -- we belong to the Earth.  And as part of the Earth, we have responsibilities about helping to maintain the planet as a livable place for humans and other beings.  Our experience with noticing the impact of pollution and carbon emissions has been to come to understand what God asks of us:  we must care for the home we were given so that it continues to serve a great interdependent web of life.  That must be our true expression of gratitude for the opportunity to life here.  Every day is Earth Day, of course, just as every day is Thanksgiving.  But it's good to set aside a day for special celebration of our understanding of what we are called to do to maintain the Earth as a good place to live.