Embracing Kingdom Hope for a Broken World
Perspectives
A Few Distinctions
May 28th
As Christians…
We are not environmentalists who care only for our own surroundings. We are people who care for God’s creation.
Our dominion of creation is not domination. Our dominion should reflect the way our Lord uses power in life-giving ways.
While we marvel at creation, we do not worship it. We worship only the Creator.
We do not pray at the expense of action. We pray that the Lord step in, then we participate where we are called.
Prayer does not just change the situation. Prayer changes the pray-er.
We do not ignore problems because God is in control. Precisely because He is in control we engage problems and seek to care for the things that He cares about.
Our hope for a restored creation is not wishful thinking. Our hope is a confident expectation in Jesus Christ, our Lord.
We do not despair in the face of a broken creation. We trust in the coming redemption of all things and seek to participate in that work.
Also consider:
The Norm
May 7th
Perspectives: a series which considers news, statistics, media, opportunities, and other creation care related ideas from our unique perspectives.
The Norm
Have you ever wondered why food that is organic, cage free, sustainably raised, treated humanely, etc is seen as special and an upgrade? Or, put differently, why is it that in our society vegetables that are grown in chemicals and doused in pesticides and animals that are injected with hormones and antibiotics and that live in horrific conditions are seen as the norm? Why is it that the better option, the chemical-free option, the well-treated option is not the standard? Why do we not see meat from animals who are abused and stuck with needles as a degradation of our food? As I think through it, it seems odd to me that eating a chicken which has not been treated with all manner of hormones and antibiotics which is allowed to walk, roam, and live the life of a chicken should not be the norm.
But today I would like to hear what you all think. Should chemical-ridden, cage-grown, poorly treated be our standard? Or should it be seen as sub-standard, lower quality food? What is your opinion and what do you feed your family?
Please share your thoughts with us and the community; just remember to be respectful as always.
Also consider:
A Prayer for the Gulf Coast Oil Spill
May 3rd
On April 20th there was an explosion on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico which resulted in the death of 11 people. After the explosion, one of the fail safes which was to protect against spills apparently failed. Since then, gallon after gallon of oil has been spilling into the waters uncontained. It seems that it will be another 7-9 days until even a temporary cap can be put in place. Meanwhile oil continues to gush out, threatening animals, beaches, and marshes. While cleanup efforts have begun, to date they have been largely unsuccessful at containing the spill. As of today, it looks like this will be the worst US oil disaster ever. The potential harm done to God’s creation is immense.
For most of us there is not much we can do about it. We are neither trained nor positioned to help. And yet, as people who care for God’s creation we cannot just ignore this tragedy. So, please join me in prayer for the families of those who died and were injured, for those whose lives and livelihoods have been affected, for those working to clean up the spill, and for God’s creatures and creations that are damaged.
A Prayer for the Gulf Coast Oil Spill
Our LORD,
Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer,
You alone are sovereign over creation.
You alone created the heavens and the earth.
You alone sustain and hold all things together.
You alone are the redeemer and re-creator.
We praise You for your wonderful creation,
But now plead with You for your intervention.
In the face of great tragedy we turn to You,
We ask that You step in with works of restoration.
Be with the families of those who were killed,
May they be comforted with Your peace.
Be with those who were injured,
May they experience Your healing.
Be with those whose jobs are affected in an already tough economy,
May they receive Your provision.
Be with those who are working to contain and clean up,
May they be guided and directed.
What a shame that Your creatures should suffer!
Lord, please protect and heal them.
What a shame that Your creation should be damaged!
Lord, please protect and restore it.
As we ourselves are somewhat complicit in this tragedy,
Forgive us for our role in this crisis.
Teach us to reduce our own consumption,
That we might better care for and protect Your creation.
We again acknowledge Your sovereignty.
We pray that Your restorative work would be manifest,
That Your Kingdom come and Your will be done here and now,
That Your name might be glorified in all the earth.
We pray all this in the name of our LORD,
the Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer of all things.
Amen
*Image from:
Going Beyond Technology
Feb 26th
Perspectives: a series which considers the latest news, statistics, media, opportunities, etc from our unique perspectives.
Going Beyond Technology
I love technology. I love to read about it. I love to see the amazing things we can do with it. I love to play with it. Most importantly, I love to utilize it to enhance work and life. There is just something so intriguing about innovation. I am always so impressed by the amazing things that people can achieve when they use their God-given gifts.
I get especially excited about the latest innovations that are coming out in the green industry like backpacks with mini solar cells on them, shoes that capture energy, and miniature wind turbines for you house. These technologies often help us to make a positive impact to a degree that would not have been possible otherwise.
On Monday, Jon shared a good word about supporting a culture of innovation. As consumers we need to demand this innovation especially in industries that have lagged. However, we also need to be sure to implement the helpful technologies that already exist. Technology does us no good if it just sits in a lab.
That said, there is another side to this coin. Technology alone is not the answer. We cannot hope to simply innovate and buy our way to caring for God’s creation. I have seen so many people or organizations that buy a Prius or install solar panels on their roof and think that solves the problem, that they are done. As Christians we are called to transformation, a process that continually molds us in the image of our Savior. There are times when we simply must do the hard work of following Jesus in caring for creation.
Electric cars, energy efficient doodads, fancy irrigation systems, and sustainable wood are great. But there comes a point in our journey where we ought to seek more than eco-bling. A time where we ought to sacrifice some to care for God’s creation. A time where we ought to garden, compost, walk or ride bikes as transportation, or forego products because they are harmful to creation. For so many of us it is natural to try and buy things to solve our problems. Perhaps it is time that we also accept the challenge opportunity of change that comes at a cost. What do you think? Are you up for it?
“The problem is not technology, the problem is you. You lack the will to change.”
– Keanu Reeves, The Day the Earth Stood Still
Also consider:
Picture of Voltaic Systems Backpack
The Culture of Innovation
Feb 22nd
When I was a kid I saw a future filled with flying cars, fantastic medical devices and endless energy. I saw no reason why these things wouldn’t become a reality. Today, like most other days (sometimes I walk or ride a bike) I drove to work, in my truck, a truck with tires, gas engine, and brakes. Although my truck is a 2000 Nissan, the tires, gas engine and the breaks are not radically different than they were when I was born, or for that matter when my parents were born. Sure tires have progressed… a little, the gas engine is… more efficient, and breaks are made of a more exotic compound, but essentially there has been little change in our basic American transpiration, the car.
What happened to the Ferdinand Porsches, the Henry Fords, and the Sōichirō Hondas? During their careers they sought to solve significant engineering opportunities with innovative answers. They weren’t satisfied with incremental change, they pushed for significant differences. What they did was risk. Now their patronage is more concerned with protecting their brand than taking the necessary risks to truly move forward.
In order for us to embrace the changes necessary to curb the destruction and misuse of God’s creation we must bless and encourage others to risk, and to fail. We should encourage them in their failures, ask what they learned and support them as they try new things.
More impotently we should re-address what questions we are asking. The issues facing us are far different than they were 10 years ago. That means we shouldn’t be asking the same questions we were 10 years ago. Our questions shape our answers. Are the only questions we ask profit related?
As forward thinking as businesses appear to be, they are guided by the question “what will people buy?” If you haven’t noticed people are slow to change and slow to adapt. My hope and prayer is that innovation will no longer be bound by current business models, models that are focused on protecting the status quo by marketing slight modifications to last year’s model. Let’s let innovation blossom out of our imaginations, our creativity and the best our current technology has to offer.
Perspectives: HOPEnhagen?
Jan 26th
A series which considers the latest news, statistics, and happenings from our unique perspectives.
HOPEnhagen?
Did you really think the 2009 summit on climate change would turn the tide of excessive consumerism and pollution?
The green, ecological, creation-care, environmentalism movement has always been (pardon the pun) and always should be a grassroots crusade. Did we seriously think top down legislation on earth stewardship would work?
We all know, our governments are looking more and more like a divisions of multinational corporations.
I for one believe that creation-care will look a lot like the early church. A kingdom movement of everyday people who are committed to making their faith in Jesus and align with every aspect of their lives.
“We the people” have the freedom and the will to make massive, earth changing shifts within our own homes that can and will impact the land, the seas and the skies.
Ask yourself what changes need to be made. Don’t wait for Washington or Copenhagen mandate changes you already know you should be making.
Hope lies in our Father and in you and I.
Also consider:
