Wilderness and the human spirit

I saw this meme recently on Twitter, and several throughts came to mind.

Firstly, living in the anthropocene, humanity has pushed several of the planetary boundaries, in particular the climate system. There is no where that has not been "rearranged by the hand of man." Secondly, there are many places where this has not been the case since ecosystems took their present or approximate shape. For example, if humans crossed into north America near the end of the last ice age, ecosystems were changing to the new conditions as they arrived. As another example, many places in central America show evidence of temples and cities under rainforest, demonstrating that these areas were at one time cleared for settlement and agriculture.

None of these should belittle the idea of wilderness as such, of wild places. They have great value in terms of ecosystem services. But what of their spiritual value?

Many wild places today are not really that wild. Perhaps there are dangers to do with terrain, starvation, dedyration, or getting lost, but people usually enter prepared. In many places though, large predators have been exterminated. Apart from the risk of snake bite say in Australia, staying away from the oceans (sharks) or tropical rivers (crocodiles) and there are fewwer dangers that in parts of north America or Africa.

Wilderness proper should be wild, not so much so we can experience a romantic connection with nature - though I think that is right and proper too. A sense of continuity with nature is important. In Christian theology this is a reminder that we are creatures along with all others, made by and sustained by a creator. The rich variety (currently under threat of mass extinction) and aesthetic value pervade our senses. It should also teach us that they have value in and of themselves, for themselves, and for God (Psalm 104). Wilderness is not just for us at all - for our spirits or material needs.

But the wildness of wilderness should teach us that we are small. A clear night sky should do that (Psalm 8). When popularisers of science like Brian Cox talk about humanity being (seemingly) insignificant, this is not a new thought. God's care for non-humans (Psalm 104), our inability to tame it (without destroying it, see the end of Job) or the vastness of the sky (Psam 8) not normally visible from urban areas should all act to humble us and challenge our hubris.

That said, I planted a banksia in my back yard, in my very disturbed area, to attract and feed New Holland Honeyeaters. Even here, in these margins, I can be reminded that I share the earth with other creatures, and need to make room for them.

Love God, love neighbour, love the earth

This morning I got to speak briefly at Essendon Baptist Church, where I gave a modified version of my climate change rally talk from last year. Here is the text below.

As a Christian thinker and climate scientist, I don’t want to talk this morning just of facts and figures, but imagination and dreams. I dream of a world of peace and justice, where resources are shared fairly, and where the Earth is treasured and protected.

Climate change is not just about science, technology or politics. The science does tell us that humans have been modifying the atmosphere with greenhouse gases, by burning fossil fuels and cutting down forests. This has been happening since the start of the industrial revolution. Natural changes such as cycles in the ocean, changes in the sun and volcanic eruptions are not responsible for the warming air and oceans, rising sea levels, or melting glaciers; we are. The science tells us that if we continue on our current path, large parts of the world could become uninhabitable and billions could die.

Technology can and will be part of the solution. Shifting from coal, oil and gas to wind, solar and other technologies, as well as gains in efficiencies, will avoid the worst of the warming scenarios.

Politics is important because change needs to occur from the top, and strong vision and leadership is needed. At the present time, our own government has made cuts to climate science, at times it denies the basic science and questions the integrity of scientists, pursues fossil fuels and removes environmental protection.

Above all of this, climate change is a deeply moral issue, and as we face an uncertain future, every person needs to be able to dream; to imagine a different world, a different way of pursuing the good life.

My dream of a better world is shaped by the Christian story of a God who loves, creates, redeems and renews. The cross of Jesus is the greatest expression of God’s love, and in response I am compelled to love God, and love my neighbour.

 

To love God means that I must love the world he has made. If the world warms by 2 degrees, more than 99% of all coral reefs will disappear; amazingly rich and beautiful ecosystems that are thousands of years old. Genesis 1 tells us that the earth is God’s good creation. More than that, it teaches the world is God’s temple, and that humans are made in his image to represent him to the world. Further, in Romans 8, Paul tells us that the whole creation groans under human misrule, but will one day be released from its suffering when the children of God are raised from the dead.

So, because I believe in a creator, this world is not disposable but sacred. The destruction we risk is not only wanton, but blasphemous.

In a world where I wear clothes made in Bangladesh, watch American movies on a Chinese TV, and when my Japanese car adds gases that warm the whole planet, everyone is my neighbour. Greenhouse gases know no national boundaries.

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus told a story about a man attacked by robbers, to teach us that we are to love our neighbours when they are in need. This story of Jesus calls me to be a Good Samaritan and bind the wounds of those who suffer, and right now, people are suffering from climate change; from sea level rise, heat waves, bushfire and disease.

In Kenya, world malaria expert Andrew Githeko grew up in the highlands, where it was once too cold for malarial mosquitoes to breed. Imagine his shock when a family member rang to tell him that his niece, who was living in his home town, had contracted malaria. When he sent a research assistant to his old home, he found it swarming with mosquitoes. This is happening in tropical highlands around the world. We have not been good neighbours to people like the Githekos.

If we fail to act now to limit future climate change, we are not just being bad neighbours; we are the robbers from the parable, stealing from our neighbours and future generations the chance to live full and meaningful lives.

 So how then do we respond as a church? Christians are called in two ways. As Disciples of Christ, we are to be obedient to all that he calls us to. Acts of kindness, generosity, peace, justice, stewardship, and frugality are not simply acts of personal piety, but impact upon our world. Looking after God’s earth is part of our calling as Disciples of Christ. Buying less, buying green, reusing, recycling and gardening are all acts of a good Christian.

We are also called as a body, a city on a hill and a light to the world. Christians can and should be vocal in the public sphere. Marching at rallies, divesting from fossil fuels by changing banks and super funds, writing to politicians, and even for some, being arrested as Christians, continues the Old Testament prophetic tradition of speaking truth to power. If the churches speak with one voice on this issue, we will be heard throughout the corridors of power.

It is not unchristian to address climate change; it is in fact our duty, for we alone have a message of hope. God bless you.

Talking climate change on Christian radio

Recently, I had the chance to speak on the 20Twenty program on Vision Radio (audio file here) climate change. It was an interesting experience as a few callers were sceptical. As I often find though, there are some fundamental misunderstandings of the science. Everyone was courteous and obviously committed to their faith.

Who I was speaking to shaped how I approached things. At one point, I used the story in Numbers 22, where God speaks to the prophet Balaam through a donkey. I was not comparing Greens to donkeys, but trying to make the point to conservative Christians that those who tell us we should be doing a better job of looking after the Earth can be anyone. Later, I said we should be thankful to these people. All differences on other issues aside, on climate change, we owe the Greens and conservation groups a debt of gratitude.

Anglican EcoCare Journal

The Anglican diocese of Perth, Western Australia will soon be launching its EcoCare Journal. As part of that, I will have a paper published with them entitled The Earth is Full of Your Creatures: A Theology of Wilderness. Not sure of the format (i.e. paper, electronic or both) or precisely when it will be available. Watch this space. My abstract is below to whet your appetite.

Wilderness is a debated term today, given that no place on Earth is free from modification via human activity, such as anthropogenic climate change or the spread of DDT through the biosphere. This is of particular interest in the Australian seen, given the challenge to the status and integrity of World Heritage Areas. Definitions of what or what doesn't count as wilderness, what should be conserved and what conservation means are philosophical as well as scientific questions because they pose questions about what is of value, how that value is measured, etc. Such issues are therefore open to theological analysis, to guide Christians through decision making processes in conservation and ecomission.

This paper will examine key Old Testament texts that speak about the role of wilderness and places beyond human settlement alongside those that set out the creation mandate to explore ideas of divine sovereignty, human stewardship, nature, the image of God and proper humility. 

Creator, creation, care

I saw this meme on a friends Facebook page, and thought it too good not to blog about. It's an interesting, and provocative statement - and it seems to me to be a challenge from outside the Christian community to do exactly what it should be doing.

The first thing to think about is that this is not an either/or. It is care about who created that should motivate us to care for creation. This is far more obvious in the first and second greatest commandments. Jesus says we are to love God with all that we are, and to love our neighbour (which he expands to include those we see as our enemies). There is a direct connection, because we love God, we love those whom he made in his image. This is our Christian neighbour, our Muslim neighbour, our atheist neighbour, etc.

But likewise, if we are so keen to establish that creation had a creator, so too we need to understand what that means for how we live in that creation. As John Walton (and others) has argued, Genesis 1 is more about who created and what for, rather than how. The idea that creation itself is a temple and human beings images of God in it means that creation is sacred space, and we have a sacred responsibility. Christians should be at the forefront of caring for that which was declared "very good". Arguments about how it was all created are important but secondary to the task of looking after what we have been given.

The meme is right (though possibly not for the right reasons). Love God, love neighbour and care for creation.

Friends of A Rocha Australia

Hi all - finally a website for Friends of A Rocha Australia, a group dedicated to working as Christians in conservation and founding a A Rocha in Australia.

For people in the Melbourne area or willing to travel, we have an event October 10-12 in Kyneton, doing some restoration work. Please see the link above and use the contact form to register interest.

News, writing projects, etc

I've let this blog lag a little - been a little busy, so here's come updates.

I Googled myself last night - it's always interesting to see your digital footprint (and potentially sobering so always be mindful before you put anything online). I discovered that my Red Letter Christians post, A Theology of Farts and Orgasms, which examines the connection between diet, reproduction, the image of God and the rest of creation, was quoted heavily in a blogpost on Eden Keeper. A blog I'll have to keep my eye on.

I also have a blog piece coming out tomorrow that looks at eschatology and its link to creation care entitled Beam me up Goddy. See Red Letter Christians for that. Yes, yes, I need to post more here too!

I then discovered that Australian comedian, and I'm guessing now social commentator, Wendy Harmer, quoted what I'm guessing was my guest bog post on the ABC's Environment blog in a January edition of the Sydney Morning Herald, looking at the environmental theology of the Pope (the one in the Vatican, not me). See here for that piece.

On other news, my book A Climate of Hope, Dawson and Pope with Urban Neighbours of Hope is well underway. It's with proofreaders and we are slowly getting in recommendations for the back cover.

I will be writing a book on ecomissiology. Length, etc still to be determined, but it will be based on my Tinsley Institute lecture on missiology from 2013, which is available on the web in various places as well as a chapter in Speaking of Mission: Volume 2.

Finally, a new ecojournal has been started by the Anglican Diocese in Perth, and I'm hoping my paper on A Theology of Wilderness will be published. Busy times.

Keep writing, thinking and acting in our mission to care for God's Earth.