Hutton Patterson

Mrs. Warren Vrbanac

HRE4Mc

20 November 2023

Prophetic Voice - Greta Thunberg

Greta Thunberg, born on the 3rd of January 2003 to Svante Thunberg and Malena

Ernman (Wikipedia), is a climate activist who gained notoriety in 2018 by organizing a climate

protest outside the Swedish parliament. She was born and raised in Stockholm, Sweden, and has

a sister named Beata. She was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome and selective mutism in 2015,

which has caused her only to speak when she needs to. This made her extremely quiet and shy at

school, causing her to have trouble making friends. In the time that she is not advocating for

climate change, she enjoys hiking, sailing, and spending time with her two dogs (Krosofsky).

When asked if she believes in a higher power during an interview with the Swedish television

network TV4, Thunberg responded, “No, I don’t believe in God; I believe in the scientific

consensus on climate change” (Marcella) Though she does not believe in God, she portrays a

desire to address a social sin, which is destruction of God’s creation. We as humans are called to

care for the earth; for example, Genesis 2:15 states “The Lord God then took the man and settled

him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it. It is telling us that Humans are

commanded to care for God’s creation. Thunberg encountered this crisis as early as eight years

old, and couldn’t understand why no action was being taken. She came to an understanding that

this is an extremely concerning issue, and devoted her time to researching further on the subject.

Everything changed in May 2018, when she was 15. As a result of winning an environmental

essay contest hosted by a Swedish newspaper, she was invited to participate in meetings with
Fossil Free Dalsland, an environmental organization dedicated to combating climate change.

Thunberg determined that her contribution could be to lead a school strike to bring attention to

the issue; it was then that 'School Strike for Climate' was born. This protest led by Thunberg

would call students to skip school on Fridays to protest outside the Swedish Parliament. This

influenced students across the globe to do the same, with over 90 countries participating.

Prophets can teach us to live with love in the contemporary world through the example they set

for the public. Although not religious, Thunberg sets an inspiring example from a Christian

perspective to not only inspire others to speak up against injustices, but as well to motivate

Christians to care for the planet, which is God’s creation. Thunberg’s activism is rooted in love

for our planet, which we as Christians are called to profess. Our voices and moral lives as

followers of Jesus are prophetic because we are made in the image of God. Jesus came to us as

both fully human and divine, so he set an example to follow. Our choice to speak up against

injustice and to live a certain life is Christ-like because we as Christians advocate for God’s will.
 Works Cited

“Care for Creation | USCCB.” usccb,

https://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catholic-social-teaching/ca

re-for-creation. Accessed 20 November 2023.

“Greta Thunberg.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greta_Thunberg. Accessed 15

November 2023.

Krosofsky, Andrew. “What Does Greta Thunberg Do in Her Spare Time?” Green Matters, 24

March 2021, https://www.greenmatters.com/p/greta-thunberg-spare-time. Accessed 17

November 2023.

Marcella. “Greta Thunberg Swedish Climate Activist Does Not Believe In God.” Dvaita.org, 11

November 2022,

https://www.dvaita.org/greta-thunberg-swedish-climate-activist-does-not-believe-in-god/.

Accessed 15 November 2023.