The Lausanne Global Conversation is on the World Wide Open Network
Auteur: Scott Sabin
Date: 07.04.2010
Category: Intendance de l’environnement
The idea of a global conversation about Christian environmental stewardship is something I find very exciting. Despite my experience working with creation care in a number of countries, my approach to the topic is influenced by a distinctly American perspective. Thus I am anxious to hear other voices and viewpoints.
In the United States, the church has had a particularly odd relationship with environmental stewardship, due in large part to our own domestic politics and history. In the past, environmental concern has often been viewed as a liberal or even pagan issue. Many Christians have been hostile to anything that smacked of “tree-hugging”. Thankfully, this attitude has undergone a profound shift in recent years, although creation care is still often a secondary concern, failing to draw the interest that is generated by many other social issues.
Whether this distrust of environmental concern is common in churches in other countries, I don’t know, but I suspect that it is not. I still remember the shock on the face of Plant With Purpose’s Dominican director when I tried to explain the suspicion with which many U.S. churches regarded the environmental aspects of our work. It was a horrifying thought to him that American Christians would be less than enthusiastic about caring for God’s creation. I have also been impressed by the speed with which churches in Tanzania have taken on creation care once they began to see the impact of deforestation on the local mountains. This has been very encouraging.
On the other hand, I am not sure it is a mainstream concern in the international Christian community. For one thing, it does require making a number of connections that are not always apparent. My own interest in creation care grew out of a desire to love my neighbor, but I needed others to show me how the health of a watershed was directly connected to giving a cup of cold water in the name of Jesus. (Matt 10:42) It required some upstream thinking, both literally and figuratively, to move from the cup of water to the degraded watershed.
I imagine that Christians in societies that live closer to the earth are more cognizant of these connections. In the US, insulated from our world by computer screens, air conditioning, bottled water and fast food, it is very easy to forget our dependence on the earth as our life support system. The hillside farmer in Africa has no such insulation and often receives immediate feedback from his or her environment.
Today, as interest in creation care is growing in the United States, there is also a growing interest in making it a part of our Christian walk and outreach. There is a rapidly expanding body of literature examining the Biblical basis for creation stewardship and reminding us that the earth is still the Lord’s. Most of this still comes from an American perspective, so it is with eagerness that I look forward to the insights and perspectives of our brothers and sisters around the world as our conversation moves forward.
Mots-clés: environment, creation care
Vues: 13582
Commentaires: 7
Recommandations: 1
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Ouganda
During the initial years of refining the vision I felt God had laid upon my heart, I always pondered how believers could apply our biblical truths to form a perpetual solution that would address environmental issues I saw everywhere as a student. I kept dreaming that the answer was in the bible and I remember once sharing my wild dreams with my pastor. A few years later, I look back at a relationship learning journey, one that still continues to be of faith as I allow God lead me along a path of continual discovery and mostly inspirational for me.
As I have moved around and been in a numerous churches, I have seen an array of church positions on this issue of creation care.
The disengaged church; for instance when I walk up to a pastor and I tell them about creation care, they seem to see it is as another program something altogether new on their to do list that needs additional funding and therefore straining their scanty church resources.
I have also met a number of pastors that are extremely proud of their little gardens and farms – that are sometimes clearly motived by greed. And on the still on the other extreme, church leaders that feel threatened or rather invaded when a creation care message is right in front of them. These positions boggle the mind.
However, I still believe that if the church gained the vision in Romans1:20, we would have the right edge we are all working towards. The church is still God’s agent of transformation in the world today. God’s waiting on us to go back to our roots instead of looking everywhere else to fix what we cannot.
I also feel with all due respect that some of the older folks in the church have lost it; they don’t seem to believe what they first believed because with human eyes, it is impossible to make a change.
The bible verse above is endorsement that God does manifest Himself to men, shows how this manifestation is made, and makes the deduction that men are, in virtue of this revelation, inexcusable for their impiety.
My query is, why is it so difficult for Christians to apply this simple biblical truth to the environmental crisis that is threatening our children?
06.09.2010
Afrique du Sud
Adding my voice to yours: http://conversation.lausanne.org/en/conversations/detail/10830
01.09.2010
Afrique du Sud
In South Africa we are finding that there is an increasing economic incentive to being environmentally aware. The cost of our water and electricity is going up, so naturally we try to conserve water and electricity as best we can as a church. We try to plant water-wise plants in our garden and all our light-bulbs are the new generation low wattage type. This is good news then for water conservation and for reducing our carbon footprint as a local church.
But this points to a general pattern in our society where poorer communities are more efficient users of resources (eg. you don’t waste even a litre of water when you’ve had to carry 30 litres on your head for a few kilometres), whereas the more wealthy can afford to be wasteful. Ditto, wealthier churches!
Obviously this is a stereotype, and there are plenty of exceptions to the rule (eg. I often see public taps left on when I travel through rural areas) but that is for another discussion...
25.08.2010
Suède
It is really exciting, and it is a shame that (western) churches are still not in the front line. My experience, working with indigenous peoples theology, is that indigenous peoples all over the world have quite another feeling about stewardship. It is part of their culture and their sprituality. I think the Wetsern Church could learn a lot from different indigenous Christian groups, be it Saami from Scandinavia, Native Americans, Aboriginals etc.
Thanks for taking up this conversation!
04.06.2010
États-Unis
Thank you for framing the issue in a question Scott. You are right, the way we look at this issue will be different around the world but we have not had a discussion like this at a broad level. I too am interested in seeing how the various countries that will participate in this discussion will represent the issue of Creation Care. Look forward to interacting with you.
12.04.2010
États-Unis
I know that there appears to be much confusion over the issue of Creation Care in the church. To help open the discussion, Dr. Matthew Sleeth, author of "Serve God, Save the Planet" is hosting
the first-ever, all- church simulcast on Creation Care
called "Hope for Creation" on April 21. Hundreds of churches have already signed on and all you need is a laptop to join the discussion.
To learn more, go to: http://blessedearth.org
10.04.2010
Inde
Dear Beloved Scott,
I am pastor Kalapala from India, I would like to know more about your ministry for Christ. here in India we have a ministry namely GMCHS, I would like to invite you to India proclaim the Gospel.
My phone no.
091-9440607007
Pastor Kalapala
08.04.2010
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