From the Creation Care Team:
Back in 1970, one of the fundamental outcomes of the First Earth Day was a re-examination of living – as a person, in a human community, in a planetary ecosystem.
During that time, a young artist by the name of Trina Paulus was working on a story inspired through her travels – from the poverty in Egypt – being airlifted during the 1967 war – and spending time in Europe during an intense period of the European student movement (1968-1969). Returning to New York, she met with a publisher and re-worked a manuscript she had been carrying around with her since 1965.
As an artist, she was wrestling with a universal approach to communicate the global human condition. Most importantly, she was looking for a path of hope to move forward in a world reeling in conflict and despair.
The result was a book in 1972 – Hope for the Flowers – 160 pages of very few words woven together with creative simple artestry. Essentially, the book is a creative endeavor exploring human behavior.
Last year – during COVID – during the 50-year celebration of Earth Day, the story made a substantial comeback.
Through the lens of a caterpillar’s life, the author takes the reader on a journey. Her message is simple: take some time to figure out who you really are – not the person that the world expects you to be – but the person that God wants you to be.
Once you find that REAL you, then feel its freedom, and leverage that transformed sense of being to bring about the beautiful changes that are needed to solve the biggest problems that are facing us in today’s society.
A short reading of the story – with pictures from the book: https://youtu.be/tgsuiz2LSmw (12 minutes)
Short interviews with the Author last year
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bNRC-TJxyU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5efhxlZTYE
Our Savior Lutheran Church and Campus Ministry 