Now... 'all shall be well' sounds great, but it is sometimes truly hard to believe! In this series, we're looking at some anxiety-producing topics through Julian of Norwich's lens of faith, hope, and love.

Today, Julia interviews Ron Schmidt, whose passion for creation care (especially about achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions) is filled with conviction, curiosity, and hope. Listen in as one of our sages talks about his passion for the earth, his concern about climate change, and why he believes that working towards an impossible and an important goal is both life-giving and the best use of who God made him to be.

Ron grew up in a working-class family in Milwaukee and graduated with his MBA and BBA with an accounting major from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. While beginning his career in public accounting, during which time he obtained his CPA, Ron eventually moved into banking. In 1983, Ron relocated to Columbus to join Bank One, which, ultimately, became JPMorgan Chase. After retirement in 2009, Ron joined Vineyard Columbus, graduating from Vineyard Institute in 2014. Only recently (2024) did he become actively involved in creation care. Ron is married and has four adult children and four grandchildren. You can contact Ron at: [email protected].

Julian of Norwich lived in the Middle Ages through the Black Plague and is one of the church's most recognized mystics.  She wrote the earliest surviving book in the English language written by a woman, Revelations of Divine Love, in which we find her well known reflection: Here I was taught by the grace of God that I should steadfastly hold me in the Faith ... and that ... I should take my stand on and earnestly believe in ... that ‘all manner of thing shall be well'.

Interested in getting involved in Creation Care at Vineyard Columbus?
Contact: [email protected]

Praxis / Redemptive Quest: https://journal.praxis.co/redemptive-quests-652259149ed8

Following Jesus in a Warming World: https://bookstore.vineyardcolumbus.org/reads/p/following-jesus-in-a-warming-world-a-christian-call-to-climate-action?rq=following%20jesus%20in%20a%20warming%20world