Good jobs, green jobs

By Rabbi Steve Gutow, Rev. Larry Snyder, Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon and Dr. Sayyid Syeed

While experts argue over the nature of this country's economic woes, leaders in America's faith communities see daily the consequences of the downturn, as far too many of our people continue to cry out for shelter, food, and meaningful work.

Food banks are strained, foreclosures mount, and the competition over the few jobs that remain grows ever fiercer. Millions of holy souls, all created in the Divine image, find themselves hemmed in on all sides, with very little hope.

The Obama Administration has begun to address many of the issues, with the understanding that the economy can't be truly fixed until people are working again - and significantly, special emphasis has been put on creating "green" jobs, jobs that will not only give a boost to those in need, but simultaneously address the needs of Creation itself, and help to heal the environment. There are bills before Congress right now that are designed to create more green jobs.

It is our hope and prayer, then, that the Administration acts to provide a significant number of these new jobs for those poor unemployed in America who need them the most.

For those of us working with disadvantaged populations, this meeting point of job creation and environmental concern couldn't be more meaningful: Not only do our communities need the work, but they're often hit the hardest by health-threatening pollutants and the absence of earth-friendly lifestyle options. As people of faith, we're called upon to answer both needs, to help build a world in which a healthy, vibrant humanity can grow and thrive in a healthy, vibrant world - and so we call on our nation to make wise choices that will serve not only those struggling with poverty, but the entire country.

The efforts we make must be thoughtful, and comprehensive: Funds must be targeted toward projects that help the unemployed gain the new skills they'll need; priority must be given to green industries that create employment with decent benefits, family-supporting wages, and safe working conditions.

Not only will these steps help heal our nation today, with an upswing in economic activity but the advancement of green science with its beneficial impact on the environment will serve our future, as well. A break in the cycle of poverty, cleaner skies and water - all of these mean that the children who now live in need will have a better chance to grow to their full, God-given potential and become active contributors across American society.

Regardless of our religious heritage, Americans of faith share a vision, for both the people among whom we live, and the earth we call home.

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel used to speak of "praying with our feet" - that one must take an active role in achieving the world we ask God to build. Similarly, Islam teaches that supporting the needy is an external act of worship, on a par with prayer, and Jesus told the disciples that "whatever you did for my [needy] brothers, you did for me." Leviticus states that the Earth is the Lord's and we are merely holding it for God's benefit.

But we cannot stop there, for if the world is ill, we have failed. Christian and Jewish Scripture states very clearly that God placed humanity on the earth "to till it and to tend it." The Qur'an enjoins humanity "not to make mischief on the earth," but rather to seek balance in all things.

Our society knows little such balance today: Unemployment levels are at 9.8 percent, with 39.8 million Americans living in poverty, and whether it's Chesapeake Country, Virginia, or Caddo Parish, Louisiana, families living below the poverty line also face daily degradation of their environment over which they have very little control.

To answer these many, intertwined needs, we will need the strength to act on our convictions, the discernment to see the world as the Creator wants it to be, and the wisdom to respond together as persons of different faiths.

We call upon the government to direct earth-friendly employment to those who need it most, in keeping with the Divine mandate to help the needy and repair the world - acts which are not only godly, but in America's best interests.

Rabbi Steve Gutow is president and CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs; Reverend Larry Snyder is the president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA; Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon is the general secretary of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA; and Dr. Sayyid Syeed is the national director for the Islamic Society of North America's Office for Interfaith and Community Alliances.

By Gutow, Snyder, Kinnamon & Syeed |  October 19, 2009; 3:56 PM ET
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