The Story of the First Earth Day

In 1969, my father, John Saunders McConnell, Jr. after years of prayer and activity of how to draw attention to the plight of this planet and its people, with intent to produce positive change, had the inspiration, which he credits to the God he served, for a global holiday that could be shared around the world at the moment of the Spring Equinox, a moment when time is equal all over the world. He wanted the holiday to have a name that would be simple for people, yet purposeful and the moment he exclaimed to my mother, “We will call it ‘Earth Day!’” an earthquake shook the San Francisco area where they were living. Dramatic, to say the least.

My father was an amazingly gifted, intelligent man, with a strong compassion for people and this earth. His life was lived from his childhood seeking God’s will for his life, while admitting that humanity, himself included, was in dire need of the grace and forgiveness offered at the cross. My gifts differ greatly from his, and for years I did not attempt to get involved, but I have inherited his love for people, his desire for the peace that comes alongside justice, not neglecting it, but upholding it in love, and his passion for the Source of his inspiration, the Holy Bible and the Lord Jesus Christ. His source for the vision he held were the many words that Christ spoke of Peace on Earth, but my father was most passionate about the Sermon on the Mount and shared it at times where he went, even into Iranian prison camps and various places. 

…to be continued….

I hope you join us on this journey as we grow together for peace, justice and the care of earth.

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