Hennie Symington

For we know that up to the present time all of creation groans with pain, like the pain of childbirth. But it is not just creation alone which groans; we who have the Spirit as the first of God’s gifts also groan within ourselves as we wait for God to make us his children and set our whole being free. Romans 8:22-23

If the extreme weather conditions of the past year have not caused you to think deeply about the impact man has on nature, think again. There is much discussion on the role mankind can play in preserving the earth. However, it appears almost as if Christians are reluctant to get too involved in these issues. We seem to be much more concerned about saving souls than saving trees.

Some Christians see the ecological crisis as just another sign of the times and even take a strange satisfaction in the destruction of creation so that they are able to say that it’s God’s punishment for our sins. Others fear that any involvement with “green issues” will divert the attention of the church from its primary task of winning souls for the kingdom. Who knows?

However, we cannot help but to be deeply moved when we see people standing helpless before the destructive power of the wind, rain and the ocean. The desperate cries for help reaching us from the Philippines, the tears of the people of Britain in the face of the worst floods in living memory, and the rivers of ice in the USA this past winter have made us acutely aware of the immense power and destruction of nature and the human tragedy that follows in the wake of these disasters.

How then should Christians be looking at environmental issues? I’m not sure that it is within our power to do anything about climate change and the disasters it brings. Be that as it may. What every Christian should however be aware of is that the need for rescue, aid and outreach on a large scale will increasingly become part of our ministry to people. To love God with all our heart and soul, and our neighbours as ourselves will demand of us to do everything humanly possible to alleviate the suffering and pain experienced by those who are affected by disasters. Be prepared to reach out to communities near and far if and when the time comes.

Prayer: Lord, we have no answers when we are faced with the kind of destruction we witnessed in this past year. We pray that we will be spared this kind of hardship but at the same time ask that we will be willing and able to help whenever we are called upon to do so. Amen