The Christian university and its ecological sensitivity
A recent global concern about climate change is filling the news from newspapers, television, internet and radio, the issue is getting worse when, for reasons of human actions manifested in irreversible damage to natural ecosystems is causing the destruction of space needed for survival of mankind. Earthquakes, fires, variations in climate abruptly, floods, and the gradual loss of endangered species.
For years, I wondered, could it be that the church of Christ has something to say about this issue? What is the role of every believer in this situation that directly affects you? The Bible has something to say? The problem is that unfortunately we have given our space, if not bring anything, if silent or at the time that we look elsewhere rather than face this situation.
In many cases what the believer has the view that this matter is the responsibility of governments, businesses and conservation organizations created for this purpose. The believer fears being involved in a case that involved going to see a situation with political implications that will be harmful to their testimony.
Now, back to the beginning, who is the creator of this whole wonderful world? Of course the answer is God, the truth that the Bible presents God as the creator, master of all creation. This has serious implications for the life of the believer, every Christian has a duty to teach this truth, and in doing is making a significant contribution to the conservation world view that we face some environmental groups, which presents nature as to itself.
The mission of Jesus Christ to his disciples includes the teachings of all the truths of the Word of God, man needs to know and understand the ecological problem and the care of the environment is rooted in the problem of sin and rebellion of being man against his Creator. The goal of redemption is the reconciliation of man with God, through Jesus Christ.
Reconciliation with God brings about a sense of urgency and excitement of trial with respect to the responsibility given to man in the Garden of Eden, and not give us what is created to destroy, but rather, to care for and accountability to their own use. The issue of rigor is that there can be no ecological sense in a community that excludes the operator, to exclude God from universal stage brings an emptiness in all sorts of persuasion and motivation that focus on the urgency to save us from destruction today and in the now, without thinking about the issue of “after death.”
Ie organic matter for the believer has its source in that we are not owners of anything around us, everything belongs to God and one day we will have to give account to God for the use we have given everything. God creating the world, it has not stopped otherwise abandoned the Bible states that he feeds and cares for even the smallest details of Matthew 6:25-34. The server believer and follower of God must take care too.
Another noteworthy aspect is that we need to raise public awareness about this issue, since that ecological insensitivity prevents us hear what Paul calls “the groans of creation” Romans 8:22-23, these provoked groans of creation Paul moan the same way expecting the consummation of the glorification at the end of time. Can the believer to hear the groans of the victims in Haiti, Chile?, And in each place where a human being oppressed, starving and persecuted. Today humanity groans at the very consequences of their actions, how much you may need to look around? A shower here, a storm than a hurricane, tsunami means countless people who weep, suffer and moan. Can you hear those cries?
The result of not listening to the moans is that you learn to whine, Paul groaned along with the creation by could hear, now more than ever we need believers who groan in unison with the creation, this moan is the sensitive and heart-felt committed to the Creator. The danger is also that the believer to take matters ecological and many groups have done it as an opportunity to draw the attention of the community but do not really feel sympathy, compassion, much less empathy.
Well as presents the Latin American theologian Samuel Escobar:
 ”It is the attitude of a triumphalist proclaimer merely scream to the world the falsehood of their hopes and utopias. Is the cry of compassion, of sympathy, not from a distance but from the proximity protective incarnate. Nor is the attitude of the trader who sees in the spiritual hunger (ECO) the opportunity of doing business and enhance your store. No, it is to start with compassion who hears the cry of the world. “
Now, we could say that the first step you can take is to become conscious, aware and which are reviewed on my deepest convictions, motivations and especially our attitude toward the serious problems presented to us by the deterioration of the environment and its ecosystems .
In the next letter we will be reviewing the theological implications of accepted biblical ecology versus ecological perspectives presented by some environmental groups.