Monday, February 12, 2007
Does it matter?
Dear Friends,
A few weeks ago the Chinese river dolphin became extinct. Does it matter? Each year an area of the rain forest in Borneo the size of GreaterLondon is destroyed and replanted with a homogenous crop of palm trees, grown for the palm oil used in all manner of Westernconsumables. Does it matter?
And even if it does, what right do we have to challenge this, given the massive deforestation in Northern Europe of earlier centuries? Theseand many others were the questions a number of us were grappling with on a course recently, looking at the environmental crisis now facing the planet.
The question that came closest to home for me was this: Is the Judeo-Christian tradition responsible for this environmental crisis? Certainlythere have been those who have taken the divine mandate given to humankind in Genesis 1 to ‘subdue’ the earth and to ‘rule overevery living creature’, as licence ruthlessly to exploit the earth’s resources for commercial gain.
Equally, the church’s record of opposing such practice has been very poor over the past two hundred years. So, yes, it seems to me that the Judeo-Christian tradition must take its share of the blame for the current situation.
But there is a difference between the Judeo-Christian tradition and the Judeo-Christian revelation.
Genesis I begins with the account of how God created the earth to display his own qualities. It goes on to reveal how God then created humankind in his image, as his representatives on earth. Immediately after this comes the mandate to rule the earth.
In other words, being made in the image of God means to rule the earth in such a way as to enable it to fulfil the purpose for which it (and we) were created - showing forth the power and beauty and wonder and goodness and kindness and generosity of God.
Ultimately, the creation, of which we are a part, is for God and not for us, and our use of it should reflect this fact.
So, if the extinction of a species or the devastation of a rain forest or the threat of global warming is caused by human greed then, yes, it does matter and, yes, we should speak out against it. The Judeo-Christian revelation compels us to do so.
Just because people have misapplied this revelation for their own selfish ends should not deafen us to the answers to our present plight it still contains.
With best wishes,
Tim Ling
Vicar, St. Swithun’s Church Bathford
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