Climate Change: Making Poverty Permanent?
September 2, 2008
Despite working in the field of creation care for over fifteen years, I had, until recently, been marginally aware of the implications of climate change. Floresta’s work with reforestation kept me focused, and I rationalized that whether climate change was real or not, it wouldn’t change what we were doing. We would still help the rural poor to fight deforestation and poverty. There was no need to focus on something as controversial as climate change. After all, I had donors to placate.
However, just a little research points out the fallacy of this approach. First, climate change is already having a huge impact on people around the world. It is affecting lives today. My Hezekiah attitude (“At least it won’t happen in my lifetime”) was not only selfish, it was misplaced. Furthermore, climate change will have a much greater impact on the poor, whose cause we claim to champion. Read more
The Friendship Collaborative: Part 2
August 19, 2008
This post originally appeared in Creation Care Magazine. This is Part 2 of 2. Part 1 appeared yesterday.
…continued from Part 1
CC: What do you have in common that you might not have realized before?
KEN: It sounds strange to say, me being such a chronic hopelessly religious or spiritual person of the Christian variety, but I feel like I have a worldview, or at least major parts of a worldview, in common with Carl. As an ecologist or conservationist (I’m never quite sure what Carl is, but I know he’s one of those!), Carl is a bit of a zealot—meaning a man with a mission that he passionately pursues. And, like a believer such as myself, his vision has an apocalyptic quality to it—meaning he sees things looming on the horizon that could devastate life as we know it. He even views himself, if I’m not being presumptuous here, as someone who has some important message that more people ought to be listening to and if they did, the world would be a better place. And he’s part of a minority group that wants to convince the world to act differently. So, in a lot of unexpected ways, we see the world through a very similar set of lenses. Read more
The Friendship Collaborative: Part 1
August 18, 2008
This interview originally appeared in Creation Care Magazine. This is Part 1 of 2. Part 2 appears here.
Pastor Ken Wilson and scientist Carl Safina met in an unexpected way. They’d both agreed to attend a retreat in the longleaf pine woods of South Georgia that brought together evangelical leaders and some of the world’s top scientists. They were responding, in part, to the invitation made by scientist and author E.O. Wilson in his book The Creation, in which he called on conservative Christians and scientists to work together to honor and protect God’s handiwork.
At that meeting, the participants discovered that they had much to agree upon. Months later they released an “Urgent Call to Action,” which stated in part “We clearly share a profound moral obligation and sense of vocation to save the imperiled living world before our damages to it remake it as another kind of planet.” Read more
The Ocean Revealed: Part 2
August 12, 2008
This post originally appeared in Creation Care Magazine. You can find Part 1 here.
Hidden Changes In The Sea
The trouble is, climate change is not the only stress on ocean life. Long before greenhouse gases ever rose to record highs, fishermen—from the big commercial captains to small island locals—were taking fish from the sea. Scientists like me who conduct research on coral reefs have become accustomed to a new undersea loneliness, emptiness on reefs that were formerly filled with sea life. What happened to all the fish? We ate them. And we continue to do so around the globe. When we take out more fish than the fish themselves can replace by reproduction, the number of fish declines. Also, our fishing gear can damage the homes and habitats that produce the fish, or it can catch and kill unwanted species—called “bycatch”—in the process. Read more
The Ocean Revealed: Part 1
August 11, 2008
Marah Hardt is a research fellow at Blue Ocean Institute where she works to share the message fo cliamte change effects on oceans and potential solutions with people around the globe.
Seen from the shore, the ocean looks the same today as it did centuries ago: a vast shimmering silver-blue mirror of sky. This reflective veneer, however, masks an emptier, more polluted, warmer, and chemically changed sea. The collective weight of humanity presses upon the ocean now as never before, as we pull out too many fish and pour in too much garbage, fertilizer, and other pollutants. Our fishing and mining techniques scrape the bottom of the seafloor, raking up sea fans and crushing corals, destroying productive habitat. And by burning fossil fuels we not only raise the temperature of the water but also make it more acidic.
Why does this matter? Because the ocean supports all creation, in the sea and on land, including us. We are not as disconnected from this watery world as we may think. Tied to the shore, we also remain bound to the sea—by our need for food, oxygen, a stable climate, and the countless other life-sustaining services the ocean provides. We should understand something of how the ocean works, why we depend upon a healthy ocean, and why, despite all the damage that has been done, we can still be hopeful. Read more
A Photo Essay by Aaron Chang
July 31, 2008
Aaron Chang is a legendary name in the sport of surfing and the craft of photography. With over 100 magazine covers to his credit, Aaron’s work has appeared in a multitude of publications in many genres— from sports, to rock and roll, to fashion. Aaron continues to pioneer the intersection of stunning photographic imagery and evocative clothing design in his apparel company aptly named Aaron Chang. Aaron also maintains a thriving commercial and artistic photography business. This summer Aaron will open a gallery in Solana Beach, California.
For more information on Aaron and his work go to aaronchanggallery.com.
As a professional photographer for the past thirty odd years, I have spent most of my days looking. It is, perhaps simplistically, one of the most important things I do. You can’t shoot what you don’t see and you can’t see what you aren’t looking for. It takes more than vision to make a great photograph; but a great photograph can rarely be made without seeing something new and different—or seeing something ordinary in a new and different way.
For years God presented Himself in the places and people that came into the path of my eye. For years I saw God, but didn’t realize what I was looking at. Now that I see Him, I hope to convey through my images a sense of wonder with the amazing architecture of life. It’s my hope that the images I create inspire viewers to appreciate what surrounds them.
The images in this journal are entirely comprised of what is currently hanging on the walls of my home. They are images that I enjoy and that I have captured throughout my travels. From my home surf break in Del Mar, California to the south island of New Zealand these photos reflect, in a small way, the breadth and scope of my career. When I view this group of photos I give thanks for the incredible experiences I have been privileged to witness and to the glory of God.
Surfer Kevin Johnson in the tube as seen from underwater, Taapuna, Tahiti, French Polynesia - by Aaron Chang
Lion, South Africa - by Aaron Chang
Elephant in Kruger Park, South Africa - by Aaron Chang
Del Mar River Mouth, Del Mar California - by Aaron Chang
Mountain Stream, Milford Sound, New Zealand - by Aaron Chang
Waimea Bay, Oahu, Hawaii - by Aaron Chang
For more information on Aaron and his work go to aaronchanggallery.com.
Touching God In The Waves: Part 2
July 29, 2008
Christian Buckley is a writer, businessman, and lawyer. He is the founder of Covered Images, Inc. and serves on the Board of Directors of Christian Surfers United States (christiansurfers.com) and Kor World Ministries (korministries.com). He holds a Doctorate in Jurisprudence from UCLA and a BA in History from the University of California Irvine. He lives in San Diego with his wife Bridget and two children Maeve and Brendan. He likes dogs, but does not currently own one. You can reach him at Christian@thinkmoretruth.com.
Photography by Aaron Chang.
This post originally appeared in Creation Care Magazine. Part 1 appeared yesterday.
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. (Romans 1: 19-20 esv)
For me, environmental action is defensible for the Christian not solely because, as described in Genesis 1 and 2, God created the heavens and the earth and entrusted them to Adam (a matter largely pertinent to God and not Adam), but because, as Paul explains in Romans, creation is one of God’s primary tools of self revelation and thereby human regeneration. For this reason, while the sustaining of the world remains a matter securely within God’s sovereign control, it would nonetheless be a horrible indignity if mankind, through our selfish consumption of God’s creation, obscured and destroyed the very same. How sad it would be if God’s creative reflection was soiled such that generations to come were left with a continually degraded source of divine revelation.
At CSUS, we have the privilege of actually doing ministry in and with God’s creation. Our mission is to see Christians who surf move from apathy about lost surfers around them, to awareness that they have been called by God to reach out, to active expressions of that call.
Our primary tool for reaching the two to three million lost surfers in America is in fact God’s creation. Surfers are connected to the ocean and have a particularly dependent relationship with it. We spend the majority of our waking hours considering the waves, tracking tides and swells, and thinking about swell direction and ocean bottom contour. Our job at CSUS is to help surfers see God through that connection and transform their relationship with creation into a relationship with the Creator. It is not hard to explain creative energy to a surfer when he has glided across the face of a perfect six foot wave. It is not hard to explain divine power when he has seen the force of a 25-foot wave breaking on a reef. It is not hard to discuss beauty when he has enjoyed a view of the sunrise from the cool waters of the Pacific Ocean.
Pragmatically speaking, our job gets harder when sewage spills close our beaches, when man-made construction ruins surf breaks, or when anything obscures God’s revelation of himself in the power and majesty of the ocean. We depend on the ocean to do the work that Romans 1:19-20 speaks of—to point a surfer to God.
Matthew Henry, in his commentary on Romans, refers to creation as the “means and helps” mankind is given by God to come to the knowledge of Him. He notes that “The workman is known by his work. The variety, multitude, order, beauty, harmony, different nature, and excellent contrivance of the things that are made, the direction of them to certain ends, and the concurrence of all the parts to the good and beauty of the whole, do abundantly prove a Creator and his eternal power and Godhead.”
Perhaps you have a special connection with creation that has made abundantly clear the eternal power and majesty of the Creator. Maybe it is in the mountains, where you enjoy the still of a freshly fallen snow. It could be in the beauty of a sunrise over a plane of wildflowers, or in the calm morning mist on a lake. Perhaps it is in the movement of a stream or river. Whatever place creation holds in your life, consider the place it holds in the life of an unbeliever and the importance God has placed on it within the meaning
of Romans 1.
My desire in the coming years is to take my children out in the ocean for an evening glass-off; to share the love of God with them as we enjoy that splendid moment when the sun touches the water and transforms it and us. For me, it is worth defending the environment for that moment and the chance for my children to see God’s revelation in it. Maybe I am an environmentalist after all.
Touching God In The Waves: Part 1
July 28, 2008
Christian Buckley is a writer, businessman, and lawyer. He is the founder of Covered Images, Inc. and serves on the Board of Directors of Christian Surfers United States (christiansurfers.com) and Kor World Ministries (korministries.com). He holds a Doctorate in Jurisprudence from UCLA and a BA in History from the University of California Irvine. He lives in San Diego with his wife Bridget and two children Maeve and Brendan. He likes dogs, but does not currently own one. You can reach him at Christian@thinkmoretruth.com.
Photography by Aaron Chang.
This post originally appeared in Creation Care Magazine.
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. (Romans 1: 19-20 esv)
A Romans 1 Defense of Environmentalism
As a surfer, some of the most profoundly connective experiences I have had to God have come in the water. For me, the best time to surf is at sunset, often referred to as an “evening glass-off” session in southern California. At sunset during the late summer months, the wind is calmed and the surface of the water is stilled. The waves turn glassy, and as the sun drops beneath the horizon line of the ocean, the water turns mercurial in nature. Over the past twenty or so years, it has been during these evening moments on my board that I have felt enveloped in God’s creative love and power.
It should come as no surprise that, as the Chairman of Christian Surfers United States (CSUS), I am a fan of the ocean and have a general desire to protect and enjoy it. I am a lifetime member of the Surfrider Foundation, and in my younger years I worked as a California State Beach Lifeguard, protecting and educating people in and around the ocean.
It might, however, come as a surprise that I neither really consider myself an environmentalist in the contemporary sense of the word, nor do I fully agree that the Bible, at least in the Old Testament, provides an obvious basis for environmental action by Christians. Spending the past several years both as a businessman and lawyer, I have struggled with the place of social investment of any form in the life of a believer, frequently trying to reconcile massive temporal injustice and suffering with the New Testament’s call for believers to be eternally focused and unencumbered by earthly matters. For that reason, I am perhaps an unexpected and yet apt writer in this setting.
As a Christian, I make social investments. I actually make a lot of them. I think it is important to do so both personally and spiritually, but it is not absolutely important in the same eternal sense that true spiritual regeneration is. It is contextually important. I realize that Christ did create, by his mere existence and doctrinal providence, social change. He did, quite frequently, relieve suffering, feed the hungry, cure the sick, and help children. He actually restored life to the lifeless. However, I also realize that Christ did not set social investment and change as his primary or even consistent agenda. He came to seek and to save the lost. He was born to live perfection and die perfection. He came to provide the sole means to an eternal relationship with God. (See Luke 19:10, John 14:6 and 17:3, Acts 4:12, 2 Cor. 5:21.)
Strangely enough, this is where the case for Christian environmentalism begins for me. For a person to accept Christ as savior, he or she must first become aware of the creator and sustainer God. I believe that for this generation, Romans 1:19-20 describes the purest mechanism for this initial connection: His creation.
In this passage, Paul makes it clear that because God reveals himself to each of us in and through His creation, we are without excuse concerning the knowledge of His existence. When God rested on the seventh day, he left in his creation enduring reflections of his perfection, power, brilliance, and goodness. Stated simply, creation reveals unambiguous markings of God’s creative imprint.
