SENTINEL WATCH June 2, 2003 Issue

Green prayer

By Channing Walker

Some silver linings turn out to be green. There was a spike in US gas prices during the war in Iraq, and one result was an awakened interest in super fuel-efficient vehicles, including hybrid-powered cars. If this focus on efficiency is based on a public desire to consider unselfishly interests beyond those of one individual or nation, it may be a green/silver lining to the dark clouds of war, even as the clouds fade and the price of gas falls.

People have various practical reasons for thinking of the environment. For some consumers, buying a high-tech, fuel-efficient car may be worth it because it costs less to own and to keep filled with gas. Those who have the international welfare at heart may feel that a trend toward more fuel-efficient cars would directly or indirectly lessen volatility in the oil-producing Middle East, promoting a safer world, not to mention a cleaner one.

But although the technology is in place to build super clean, fuel-efficient cars (they're already in dealer showrooms in limited but growing numbers), maybe what's really exciting about all this is that it's coupled with a greater openness of thought on the part of the public. This points to a spiritual impulsion that's worth nurturing for so many reasons. And that's where prayer comes in.