So just got home from a long day of convention. There was all the typical business of convention with a smattering of reports. One really awesome one, which our parish supports, is a half way house in Humboldt, Tennessee. They were wiped out by flooding but have been rebuilt by the generous efforts of many churches in the local area. There have been several divine interventions which just make you smile. It is so lovely when things just fall into place. As I have written before, either you believe in coincidences or you believe in God. It is a choice at some point.
This year we spent several hours talking about Green Theology. Our speaker, who is a very nice young man, shared with us numerous biblical references to our relationship to the earth. He rightly, in my opinion, explained that salvation includes the world and the Lord God is coming here to establish the kingdom. He even critiqued Gnosticism!
The issues of how to live in the world are very serious. I think all of us can agree with the commitment to not pollute or waste. The problem is the world is complex. I think that we forget that today's solution is tomorrow's problem. The decision to recycle is one thing, making decisions on climate change is something altogether different. I know that we have had ice ages in the past and we recently experienced a time of seriously cooler temperatures, called the mini-ice age, since the Middle Ages. I am not sure what can be done about global warming. I am sure that rich people buying carbon credits so that they can burn all the energy they want is not the answer. I am also sure we are making decisions today which will affect tomorrow. The problem is, some ideas look good today and may make it worse tomorrow. The world is a weird place. Logic is not always accurate. Good intentions are not enough. Fortunately, I do not have to give good advice on this one, it is over my head. But I do know that environmental theology runs the risk of becoming nature worship. Indifference to the world runs the risk of becoming abusive and sinful. There are always risks. It is part of the struggle of life on our journey of faith.
I find "Green Theology" to be hypocritical. If one honors the Lord as prescribed in His Word, he will then, by default, appreciate and respect all of God's creation. Currently, there are several "theological" movements, including "Social Justice."
ReplyDeleteDissecting the Bible in an effort to support a specific agenda is bad practice. History shows those who do have their personal agenda in mind, and not God's.