The Truth Is (Why I Support Divestment from Fossil Fuels)

by Aida Haddad

​I come from the Presbytery of Ohio Valley, and I am a proud Presbyterian, Princeton Seminary graduate, and environmental scientist.

I walked 212 miles from Louisville, Kentucky to speak with you today.

And somewhere along the way—as 60 mph semi-trucks zoomed past us unavoidably within a couple arms reach, as the abnormally hot sun beat down on our brows, as our many foot blisters stung with pain, and as radically hospitable churches opened their doors to us, I found clarity about who I am as a Presbyterian.

I found my prophetic voice, or, my ability to speak the truth about our present.

And the truth is we have sinned.

The truth is we have been complicit in creating climate change refugees and killing those who can not flee, here and abroad.

The truth is we are ‘studying’ and ‘engaging’ our way to extinction.

The truth is that Oluwatosin and Jose are losing their homes because of our hardened hearts.

The truth is our hearts are hardened because we are trying over and over again to love both God and money and that is Biblically impossible.
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The truth is that all hope is not lost. The truth is that we can repent. And the truth is that divestment gives us the opportunity to begin doing so.
Amen.