The Lausanne Global Conversation is on the World Wide Open Network
作者: Cody C. Lorance
日期: 07.10.2010
Category: 环境, Social Justice
Question #6 – How can the Church reframe the issue of environmentalism and take the lead in cause of “creation care” so as to ensure that we are working towards a truly Biblical vision of creation, the world, and reality?
Welcome to the sixth of seven articles in response to the Lausanne Theology Working Group’s paper on "The Whole Church Taking the Whole Gospel to the Whole World." If you’ve not had a chance to read the paper, you can do so by following these links:
You can also read all seven parts of this series here.
Regarding the Whole World
The final section of the LTWG paper seeks to answer the question, “What is the World?” This is also capably accomplished in calling our attention to the world of physical creation, the whole human race, and the world as “an interlocking web of systems and structures that perpetuate the effects of our falleness and sin” (p. 30, full version). I have here two items to highlight. Let me take only the first today.
First, I was profoundly impacted by the section on “The World of God’s Creation.” Christian environmentalism has tended to make me very nervous. Still now, I have great concerns about the environmentalist movement that seems to be very often driven by political agendas and ideologies that do not arise out of or even appear compatible with a Biblical worldview. I think we have to be very careful in this regard. But the biblical theology on this issue that is encapsulated in the LTWG’s paper is compelling. In particular, I’d like to draw your attention to a paragraph on p. 25:
“Many Christians’ understanding of the gospel seems to start in Genesis 3 (“We’ve got a sin problem”), to end in Revelation 20 (“There is a day of judgment coming”), and then presents Jesus as a means to solve the first and escape the second . . . . But it is not the whole of the gospel, for it does not tell the whole biblical story. The Bible begins with creation (Gen. 1-2), ends with a new creation (Rev. 21-22), and presents Jesus as the one through whom God has reconciled all things in heaven and on earth to himself through the blood of his cross (Col. 1:15-23). The gospel is good news for creation, for the reason that the gospel is the good news of what God as done in Christ to undo all the effects of human sin and satanic evil and to redeem his whole creation.”
Well, that has just fundamentally moved me in my thinking on this issue. I’m not at the finish line yet, and I look forward to reading other papers on this topic in the future. But, this has me thinking quite a lot. In particular I have found that it has been good for me to consider what I anticipate redeemed creation (new heavens and new earth) to be like. That is, in the same way that mission has become for me about “presenting everyone complete in Christ” (Col. 1:28)--just as they will be in heaven, so perhaps I should be thinking of stewarding non-human creation in the same vein. This is something of an “already / not yet” way of thinking about the earth. Could there be a legitimate component of mission that is focused on moving the fullness of the earth towards God’s ideal which will only be fully realized in eternity? Hmm. . . perhaps. If so, what kind of practical goals should flow out of such a mission? Initially, the following has come to my mind:
· Certainly eternity will feature clean air, land, and water. · The new creation must be a place that is safe and habitable. · The new creation will be free from disease. · The new creation will be bountiful in resources. · The new creation will reflect the creativity of God through biodiversity.
Question #6 – How can the Church reframe the issue of environmentalism and take the lead in cause of “creation care” so as to ensure that we are working towards a truly Biblical vision of creation, the world, and reality?
关键词: theology, evangelism, mission, the world
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评论: 5
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美国
Thank your for your response, Cody. I totally agree that we should be able to put all our cards on the table and talk about the issues. Unfortunately, because it has become a political issue, I don’t think my church would agree to have the conversation. I think we value consensus so much that we just shy away from dialogue about some issues, just to keep the peace. I wish I knew how to change the value system so we could raise the environmental issue for discussion. But at this point, I don’t believe I can. Hopefully other churches will have the courage to raise the issue. Thank you for raising it for us.
12.04.2011
美国
Cody, I am glad to read that you are struggling with the question of environmentalism and the Christian faith. To answer your question about reframing, I would answer: work to de-politicize the issue. As you have noted care of the evironment has been driven by political agendas. This must stop. Instead of investing our energies in talking all this rehertoric, we should be workinig to educate people in our community about the dangers of global warming, over-comsuption of oil and water, etc.
10.04.2011
美国
@ alearner:
I think depoliticizing the issue would be great, but that is simply never going to happen. And unfortunately, I feel that a frank, open discussion and debate has been supressed in the Church. That’s the thing. Much of this issue needs to be debated.
Global warming, for example, needs to be debated in the Church -- publically and in a formal, moderated style. The only way to arrive at some consensus is for both sides to put all their cards on the table in an open and respectful way. In this way, trust can be developed and the Church can move. Such a debate will never be allowed outside the Church. We should take the lead here.
11.04.2011
美国
If i can interject a totally new idea that only strengthens the idea of caring for God’s creation.
Many followers of Christ believe that God actively created the earth and everything in it. This is very true, but to only stop there we miss out on the benefit of understanding God’s Providence.
Creation was made to point to God and who he is. To only give God credit for what he made (past tense) falls short. This idea isn’t the fullness. God is actively keeping creation in existence. This is His providence. He continues to keep this computer a computer. Now, now, now, and now. He keeps creation running. To only worship God for what he made, makes God uninvolved. This is a Deistic form of worship.
A fuller worship of God praises him not only for creating earth and everything in it, but for keeping everything together. Because of this, God shows how actively involved. I mean if God wasn’t providential then Science doesn’t even work. The scientific methods only work because God is providential.
So we should actively pursue taking care of the world, because God actively involves himself in creation. This allows our works to share our faith. I take care of the poor, because I was poor and in need and God provided salvation for me. I give water to the thirsty, because I had a thirst for living water and Jesus gave me living water. I offer my body as a living sacrifice, because Jesus gave his body as a living sacrifice. I actively want to care for the earth, because we have a Father in Heaven that is actively involved in taking care of creation.
08.10.2010
美国
@ DanielFuentes:
Great thoughts, Bubba . . . errr . . . Daniel. I love what you’ve said here. In a sense we can see "taking care of creation" as a participation in what God is actively doing. Nicely said.
08.10.2010
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