Judy Stone--Caring for humanity by caring for all of creation

TLC/PoG Story Project

We are collecting stories of how members of the TLC/PoG community have recognized what God is doing to meet the deep needs of the world and discovered and assumed their unique roles in partnership with God.

Judy was raised in a Montana family with parents who had experienced the Depression.  As a consequence, she has always been inclined to use and re-use the resources at hand and waste as little as possible.  A somewhat private person, she spent her career looking for ways that she could be of service to humanity, utilizing her expertise as a microbiologist.  Out of college, as a microbiologist, she applied to work at the FDA because she believed that she could help people by keeping their food and drugs safe.

Judy tends to experience God’s presence most deeply in the presence of the natural world because that connects her more directly to its creator.  This connection with creation sparks contrasting emotions for her:  deep gratitude for the gift given to us to enjoy and deep sadness about the damage and destruction that humanity has caused to that gift.

Caring for the earth is an expression of Judy’s faith and of her concern for humanity.  She notes that the growing amount of land mass under water because of climate change will mean that people who live there will lose their homes; pollution of water sources means that people have a harder time getting water to sustain themselves and their crops.  She links loving one’s neighbor inextricably with loving the earth.  If we say we love our neighbors but destroy the earth, loving our neighbor won’t matter because the neighbors won’t even survive without the earth to sustain them.  As the earth’s resources are consumed by humanity, it is the poorest of the world who will suffer first and most.  When asked what breaks her heart the most about the decline of the environment, Judy acknowledged that she is most distressed when people of faith claim to care for people but do not seem to take seriously the charge to be caretakers of the earth that sustains our existence.

Recycling is one tangible way that Judy has chosen to act to make a difference where she can.  Since the early 1970’s when recycling first became a possibility in the Illinois suburb where she lived, she has been a dedicated recycler because she wants to interrupt the cycle of throwing away things that we must then use up limited resources to manufacture again.

In 2004, when Judy came to Trinity Lutheran Church, she noticed that, in spite of the vast amount of paper and other recyclable materials that Trinity consumed, there was no organized effort to recycle.  Seeing this need, she initiated an effort here that now recycles six to eight cartons of paper per week, plus cardboard, food containers and other materials.  She has created a collection system and spends 1 ½-2 hours weekly at the church hauling the materials out.  She had been advocating for a long time for the church to add a recycling bin to our waste service and, with that recent addition, it is easier for our community to join in this way of preserving the earth.  Judy’s commitment to join with God in meeting the deep needs of the world has increased the integrity of our community, calling us all to faithfulness in caring for the earth.

Editors Note:

Judy will be moving to Illinois in 2013 and wonders if there will be anyone with a similar passion who will spearhead the TLC recycling effort in the future or if it will fall by the wayside when she goes.  Now is a great time for anyone who might want to test out this ministry area for themselves to talk with Judy and shadow her for a week or two to explore if it might be part of your vocation to join with God in meeting the deep needs of the world.