The year 2023 was the hottest year on record. The climate crisis is no longer a future we are trying to avert. This crisis is upon us like a flood. We feel caught up in its cross currents that threaten to sweep us away and pull us under. We are overwhelmed by myriad floods: literal floods and other disasters that threaten our existence, floods of information and misinformation, as well as debilitating floods of anxiety and hopelessness.

At the same time, we are being carried forward on the Spirit-led cross currents toward new possibilities and new life. As in the waters of baptism, this journey involves both death and resurrection. By acting together with an ever-expanding circle of companions, we discover signs of hope.

As we build these relationships, we are building arcs that become the Ark necessary for survival. We build arcs of relationship connecting generations, crossing boundaries, and healing divisions. We build arcs that lead us to Indigenous ways and wisdom. We repair the broken arc between us and the whole community of creation. We build arcs together from problems to solutions, from fossil fuels to sustainable energy, from extractive economy to regenerative economy. As we build these arcs, we look to the rainbow – the arc of promise.

Throughout this journey, questions abound: How can we unite in the face of this flood? How can we listen more closely to the cries of creation and to the promises of God? How do we respond in life-sustaining ways? What other questions do we bring?

During the Summit, we will join together to address our many questions. We will listen and learn from our keynote speaker, Christian environmental ethicist and author Larry Rasmussen, and from inspiring young respondents. We will sing and worship. And we will engage our bodies in arc-building actions and conversations, as together we conspire to embody God’s vision for our life together.