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 currently lives in Stockholm, Sweden,

and has a sister named Beata. She has been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome and selective

mutism, which causes her to only 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 tells 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 teaches others to stand up for what they believe

in regardless of what others think, or the consequences that behold. She sets an inspiring

example from a Christian perspective as well, motivating 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 for us as humans 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.