The Face of God
"The whole Earth is a living icon of the Face of God" St John of Damascus
The Face of God is a film about God and nature, faith and climate change, the experience of Orthodox communities around the world facing and experiencing changes in their lives now; this is a film about beauty, ecology, theology, sanctity, our relationship to the natural world, love, asceticism, and always it is about the radiant living icon of the face of God in creation.
This film is based on the tradition of the Orthodox church’s long history of engaging with climate change and environmental initiatives, and especially the work of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, affectionately known as “the green patriarch,” whose work is highlighted in the film. In 1989, Ecumenical Patriarch Demetrios published the first encyclical letter on the environment, proclaiming 1 September – the beginning of the church calendar – as a day of prayer for the protection of God's creation. This was the origin of the Season of Creation, which has since become an annual global and ecumenical celebration.
Visit the film's website The Face of God to watch online.
New film promotes outlines Orthodox Christian vision on climate change
World Council of Churches reveiw:
“The Face of God,” a recently released film, features Orthodox Christian perspectives from North America on climate change. The film presents reflections based on the experience and responses from Orthodox communities on the ecological crisis.
Voices of clergy and lay leaders, scientists and theologians, as well as parish communities focus on ecology, theology, and our relationship to the natural world. From the melting permafrost that threatens parishes in Alaska, the wildfires that ravaged California in 2020, and to the south, where hurricanes are becoming stronger and deadlier, communities throughout the world face the rising impacts of global climate change.
Interviews in the film include the late Archbishop David from the OCA Diocese of Alaska, Metropolitan Savas of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Pittsburgh, and numerous clergy, professors and lay leaders throughout America.
Read the World Council of Churches article New film promotes outlines Orthodox Christian vision on climate change
