Christ has no body on earth but ours
Ours are the eyes through which Christ looks out on the world.
Ours are the hands which show kindness
Ours are the feet that carry us to help one another
So help us to harvest Love.
Song “Kumbaya
Reflection on the Bible and Climate Change
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) So God made everything we see, but does the Bible have anything to say about climate change? The answer is Yes.
The bible talks of spiritual blindness, greed, and “willing ignorance” (Isaiah 56:9-12; 2 Peter 3:5). They are at the root of confusing the clear evidence on the science of climate change. The ice fields around the earth are vanishing. We have caused this change.
The scientists have warned for years that greenhouse gas increases would intensify storms, cause floods, droughts, forest fires, and expand invasive species like insects and the spread tropical diseases.
We are supposed to watch over this beautiful gift of the earth as God’s stewards. We have not done this wisely.
Storms, floods, appear as biblical end time symbols (Luke 21v25,26)- the problem is our alienation from God and caring for Gods world over profit.
Richard Burridge said that the earth would “vomit us out” because we had defiled it. “God says: ‘for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits.” a quote from Leviticus.
All these things are happening now. They are happening throughout our world, in Tuvalu, in Australia, in Florida, in Germany, in Africa, in China, Kazakhstan. They are happening everywhere.
A hurricane is the result of physical laws and we know 24 hours in advance where the hurricane is going to hit. God has put the laws in place by which this universe works.
Atmospheric particles known as aerosols control the weather. Smoke aerosols affect the weather. They affect the rain. Human production of aerosols has changed the world and the weather. We are changing the weather by how we live.
The vast consensus of the scientists is that we’re adding greenhouse gases into the atmosphere; if we do that, it’s going to warm up, and we have evidence that it’s warming.
So why is the church not standing up for God’s creation saying, “This is God’s world? We are saying we don’t respect God’s command to us to love and take care of creation.
We should care about creation—water pollution, air pollution, soil degradation. Currently the church leads on none of them. Jesus tells us that the greatest commandment is: “Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” This love calls us to shout out against the destruction of God's creation (Genesis 1:31), not just for us, but for our children and grandchildren, for the world.
We live in a time when God's creation is threatened and many people’s lives. The words of the prophets are for now;
“To you, Lord, I call, for fire has devoured the pastures in the wilderness and flames have burned up all the trees of the field. Even the wild animals pant for you; the streams of water have dried up and fire has devoured the pastures in the wilderness. Blow the trumpet in Zion! Sound the alarm on my holy hill!” Joel 1:11-2:1a
“I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.” Ezekiel 22:30-31
We are God’s voice, Gods hands and feet. Let us be faithful to that call, for the consequences of our apathy will be severe. It will be our destruction.
With the mind of Christ, in the spirit of the prophets, we need to do his saving work on and for our planet home that has been entrusted to our care for our children, for all the generations of humanity and for all of life.
So what we can do?
We can choose to use renewable energy. We can green our commute. We can use energy wisely. We can eat for a climate-stable planet. Consume less, waste less. Sharing, making, fixing, upcycling, repurposing and composting. Divest from fossil fuels. Let industry know we care about climate change. Invest in renewables. A healthy planet and stable climate aren’t political issues. It’s about families, communities and humanity’s future. Vote. Research the party, ask questions about climate change and let candidates know we are voting for the world and our future. We can put a price on pollution.
As the people of God, we need to sound the trumpet, and stand in the gap on behalf of the world so that it will not be destroyed. The call is urgent, and the task is huge. But there is a blessing, a hope beyond all despair (Isaiah 55:10-13). Amen
The Blessing in Arabic https://youtu.be/sB0IRA59FjI
We will learn from the past,
Cherish today
Welcome the future
And grow stronger every day. Amen.
