Mark S. Hanson

Presiding Bishop – Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Today’s Date: 20 December 2007

1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?

Being married to a woman of the prairies has opened my eyes to the mystery and beauty of land and space. Now my travels throughout the world are a constant reminder of the intricate beauty and inter-dependence of nature and the tragic reality that we as human beings are putting the creation on the verge of eco-cide.

2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood?

In our early years of married life we loved to camp at the Upper Roughlock Falls in Spearfish Canyon in the Black Hills. As a child it was our summer trips to Mount Carmel Bible Camp on Lake Carlos in Alexandria, Minnesota.

Now? Driving across Montana beholding the majestic beauty of mountains and prairies

3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is and why?

Our 12 year old Tuxedo who challenges my patience yet is a constant companion

4. What do you think is the greatest environmental challenge facing us now, and what do you think will be the greatest challenge in the future?

Our personal and national refusal to alter our consumptive living and develop alternate renewable fuels and live as stewards of the creation. We fail to live with a sense of accountability to God, to others, and to future generations.

5. If you could give one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?

To paraphrase Joseph Sittler, “grace is the giftedness and wonder of life.” May we repent of living that is contrary to God’s grace and become stewards of the marvelous, fragile gift.


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