And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new."
In an age in which global warming, climate change and concerns about the viability of our planet's environment are seemingly on the forefront of everyone's mind, it is often difficult to find peace and clarity. Everyone wants to blame someone else for the planet's troubles, and the ones who are blamed want to disavow that a problem exists…and all the while a nascent despair settles in as we seriously doubt the kind of future that our children and grandchildren will inherit from us.
In the midst of these concerns, I take comfort in the words of the eschatological Christ, the cosmic redeemer who proclaims from timelessness that all things are being made new. The tense of this phrase, "I am making" is significant, for this does not speak of something that has already happened, nor of some nebulous future event that might be easily metaphoricized in the face of the harsh realities of the present. No, Christ speaks of the continuous act of creation which is even now occurring, a process of rebirth which is not merely a "correction" of the original creation, but is actually the unfolding of its multifarious nature. In spite of our greatest fears about the future of our planet, God's good creation is continually being actualized, despite our best efforts to retards its revelation.
What, then, should be the response of the Christian in light of the present paranoia about climate change and global warming?
I think the first response should be action. If we serve a God that is constantly making "all" things new, we should be in the business of partnering in this act of recreation. This requires that we examine our lives and lifestyles to see how they line up with the purposes of God in creation. Are our lives marked by unmitigated consumerism that devours without thought to consequence and cost to the world and peoples around us? Do our actions mar and destroy more than they create and transform? If so, perhaps a reorientation of priorities is in order that we might be aligned with the re-creative and restorative work of God within creation, that we may image in our actions and lifestyles the "goodness" of the creative work of God.
But also, our response should be one of confidence and hope. Despite the forecasts, we know that God's agenda in creation is restoration and redemption. God's good purposes in creation—no matter how opposed by the violence of human consumption—will triumph, and the recreating power of God will have the final word. Therefore, we need not despair when the future seems hopeless. Rather we can have complete confidence that God will not abandon the creation to dissolution, but will actualize the goodness of the divine purposes in creation in the glorious rebirth of all things in the eschatological kingdom of God.
Therefore, since we have assurance that the future, like the present, is in the hands of the God that is unfailingly making "all things new," let this confidence be translated into an energy and focus to become participants within the redemptive plan of God in creation.
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mofast
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27 posts
October 15, 2007 at 10:22:55 AM
mofast responds:
Nice post. I agree with the distinctively Christian stance you take on this - and I am surprised with the lack of critical thinking that occurs in churches so that people's stances on the "environmental issues" in church ends up looking curiously like AlGore's or RushLimbaugh's. The current movement to be aware of global warming seems motivated almost purely by fear of self preservation. This is a fine and understandable stance for heathens - and I mean that seriously. However, Christians should, as you say, be joining God in the renewal of creation. This should be a priority regardless of whether or not our comfort or survival is threatened.
Also, your point on consumerist tendencies are really at the heart of it. We can come up with all sorts of alternatives, but until we see ourselves as stewards, not consumers, we will continue to do damage - to the environment and to our souls.
It's really too bad this issue has become associated with one political party.