Light is the Hope of Creation
December 23, 2009
By the Rev. Mitchell C. Hescox
John 1:1-5 (TNIV)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Today is December 22, 2009. We have just passed though the darkest day of the year. I’m happy. Darkness is one of those things that never bring me joy. The past few years, months, weeks and even days have been dark times for many people. Even the recent COP 15 Copenhagen Climate Summit had its share of dark moments. As for me, I see a ray of light and hope, and that light is Christ. For far too long, people have been confused and aggravated by the endless arm-twisting and debate regarding climate change. It seems as more information and scientific study emerges supporting the harm we are doing to God’s creation, the more someone else attempts to cloud the real issues with darkness. Smokescreens are darkness meant to confuse, frighten, and hide what true light reveals as truth.
Isn’t that what Christmas is all about? Jesus became incarnate into His creation to light up the world with hope and joy and break through the darkness. Consider some of the people active during Jesus’ time on earth. Pharisees in Jesus’ day blamed the world’s failure on the sin of others and attempted to uphold a legalism that no one, especially the Pharisees, could live up to. Sadducees simply believed life was all about the now and were easily co-opted into claiming faith while continuing to live in the world. Zealots were so self-righteous that they believed they had the right to murder anyone standing in the way of their “true” faith. Essenes believed that they were the only truly faithful people and went into the wilderness to isolate themselves and wait for the world to end.
Sound familiar? These same groups exist today, albeit with different names. This Christmas, just like 2,010 years ago, Jesus’ light comes into the world and drives away the darkness, fear, and confusion. He offers hope and life. Jesus’ light and truth are simple: The lighted way, My Way, doesn’t point fingers at others’ sins, or believe worldly ways are best. Violence doesn’t provide hope, and excluding yourself from creation never changed a single soul. My way is very simple. Love God, love others, and love yourself. And the good news is through me you have the power to love as I love.
So let’s move away from the darkness and into the light. Let’s move from self-interest to God-interest. Let’s move from confusion into confession and then into action by the transforming love of God in Christ Jesus for His creation and all His children. Most importantly, let’s live in hope because of what Jesus Christ has already done.
The darkness is over; the world has seen a great light! Have the same mind and heart of Jesus. Believe because we have Christ’s hope that we will make a difference in caring for the 100’s of millions already impacted by our changing creation.
Romans 15:13 (NIV)
13May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Rev. Mitchell C. Hescox
President/CEO
Evangelical Environmental Network
Advent Antiphons
December 18, 2009
As we near Christmas day I’ve enjoyed reading the historic “O Antiphons”, beautiful meditations on the character of Jesus dating from at least the eighth century. You may recognize many of the phrases if you know the Advent hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”. Consider meditating on one each day as we approach the celebration of Jesus’ birth.
“O Wisdom which camest out of the mouth of the most high, reaching from one end to another, mightily and sweetly ordering all things;
come and shew us the way of understanding.
“O Lord and Ruler of the house of Israel, who didst appear to Moses in a flame of fire in the bush and gavest him the Law in Sinai;
come and redeem us with thine outstretched arms.
“O Root of Jesse who standest as the ensign of the people, before whom kings shall not open their lips, to whom the nations shall pray;
come and deliver us, tarry now no more.
“O Key of David and sceptre of the House of Israel, thou that openest and no man shutteth, who shutteth and no man openeth;
come and lead the captive from prison, sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death.
“O Dayspring, splendour of eternal light and sun of righteousness;
come and enlighten them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.
“O King of Nations and their desired one, thou corner-stone who makest both one;
come and save man whom thou hast formed from clay.
“O Emmanuel our king and lawgiver, the hope of all nations and their saviour;
come and save us, O Lord our God.”
Source: http://nottinghamchurches.org/seasons/o.html
A Prayer for Creation
December 14, 2009
A stewards’ prayer from Tim Costello, CEO of World Vision Australia
“Most gracious God, creator of all good things, we thank you for the precious gift of life, for the intricate cycles and the beautiful balances that sustain it, and for the unfolding story of planet earth and all creatures that share it. We thank you for all earth’s people. You have inspired us to do much that is good and beautiful and true, but we have also chosen to act in ways that are destructive, selfish, ugly and false. Through ignorance and carelessness we have poisoned clean air and pure water. For monetary gain we have reduced verdant forests to barren wastes. In our craving for more we have plundered your beloved creation and driven many of our fellow creatures to extinction. Only recently have we begun to realize the dangerous future into which our current patterns of consumption and waste are driving us, especially in relation to earth’s climate. Only recently have we begun to see our need to find a wiser and better way of life in the future, before it is too late and our choices are limited by the consequences of inaction.
We who join in prayer today believe the time has come, Lord. Please guide us now, our God, at this critical moment in history, to better fulfill our role as stewards of this fragile planet. Inspire us and empower us to turn from thoughtless consumption and greedy destruction, to embrace and choose instead lives of caring protection and sacred regeneration. Help us discover again a wholesome and sustainable way of life that reflects your wisdom, your compassion, your justice, and your love. Help us reject the lie that there is no alternative to greed and careless exploitation, and help us believe your truth — that true prosperity, life in all its fullness, can only come from wise stewardship, mutual responsibility, and mutual care.
Guide the leaders of nations who (will) gather in Copenhagen (on December 6). Give them courage to set noble goals that reach beyond short-range political expediency, short-term economic profit, and short-sighted self-interest. Grant them foresight into a troubled future characterized by rising sea levels, spreading droughts and deserts, melting glaciers, suffering families and displaced populations, ravaging diseases, and catastrophic famines. Move them to choose a better future. Impress upon their conscience our sacred duty to bequeath to our children and grandchildren a healthy and thriving environment rather than a world in climate crisis.
If our leaders fail, Lord, if they fail to take the necessary action, they will violate both our trust and your calling to use their power for the common good. If they fail, every person will be affected, including generations not yet born. Please, God of justice and compassion, do not let the poorest and youngest among us, who have done the least to create this crisis, to suffer the unchecked consequences of the reckless greed and arrogant complacency of the wealthiest and most comfortable. Instead, move the prosperous nations to bear their fair share of the solution, in just proportion to their contribution to the problem. Rouse us all to action for we are all woven together in the fabric of creation.
This is the moment, God, when a great turning of hearts must begin. So through this prayer, we of many traditions who follow Christ — joined by friends and neighbors of many faiths – unite our hearts in a cry for change. At first a few of us, and then hundreds, and then many thousands, join together as one to pray to you on behalf of our leaders, in solidarity with the poor, in strong hope for the healing of this beautiful world, your creation and our home. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray in the name of Christ, through whom you have given yourself to the whole world in incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection. Amen.”
Tim Costello, is CEO of World Vision Australia. You can follow his blog here.
Blessed Thanksgiving
November 25, 2009
by Rev. Mitch Hescox
Alleluia, Alleluia
Give thanks to the risen Lord
Alleluia, alleluia, give praise to His name
Jesus is Lord of all the earth
He is the King of creation
Spread the good news o’er all the earth
Jesus has died and has risen
We have been crucified with Christ
Now we shall live forever
Come let us praise the living God
Joyfully sing to our Savior
-Donald Fischel
Give thanks to the risen Lord … isn’t that Thanksgiving is all about. We forget so easily that yes Jesus is Lord of all the earth. He is the King of creation. The first North American Thanksgiving celebrated, at least the image, of different cultures working together and being dependent on the creation for physical life. Our corporate Thanksgiving vision links Native Americans and new immigrants together caring for creation, working together sustainably and in a fashion living as one in God’s Kingdom.
While our memory of Pilgrims and Native Americans working together may have become somewhat idealized, Thanksgiving represents a snapshot into Jesus’ proclamation, “The Kingdom of God is at hand.” Picture in your mind God’s blessings if:
- We worked for the common benefit of all;
- Respect and value given to new immigrants;
- We recognized all creatures as created by The Creator;
- The Earth was prized as a precious gift instead of a commodity;
- We truly denied ourselves, picked up our cross, and followed Jesus.
What a blessed Thanksgiving! Then all the earth – all creation would sing:
- Alleluia, Alleluia
Give thanks to the risen Lord
Alleluia, alleluia, give praise to His name!
You Shall Have No Other Gods Before Me
October 12, 2009
By Alexei Laushkin (part 1 of 5 on Idolatry)
At first glance, old Fashion idolatry, it would seem, has fallen out of fashion in this age. The idea that someone would spend his time and energy making a graven image to place at the center of his home seems a bit absurd, even foolish, as unpopular of a word as that may be.
Imagine an urbanite rushing, in his four-door Sedan, to the nearest forest to the chop down the strongest and tallest tree in order that he might spend the rest of his day carving out his own image. The man takes the oversized tree and ties it to the top of his poorly suited car. He takes the tree home and spends the rest of the afternoon disturbing his neighbors only to come out with a few one to two foot images of himself. The man proceeds to take these images and place them throughout his house. The image is used for regular praise and worship, and is a constant reminder of his trust in these gods he has created.
Even more foolish if that same man spent his days selling these images for the comfort and good fortune of others. Foolishness we would say! The height of absurdity!! In today’s culture such people would be fools, maybe newsworthy fools, and if done on mass certainly a youtube sensation, but still such people would be largely dismissed. After all, who would spend all their waking hours seeking the comfort and praise of a hallow image??
It reminds me of a catchy tune Psalm 20:7, “some trust in chariots, some trust in horses.” Or if you prefer you can take it in with the lyrics of this 1994 song from Steve Green.
As catchy as the song is, modern idolatry is a serious and deadly business.
Isaiah 44:17 puts the desperation and emphasis rather adequately, when the idol worship declares of a self made image “Deliver me, for you are my God!” Stark enough. Idolatry betrays the reality of the spiritual death that overpowers the individuals. From dust to dust. You become what you worship.
Idolatry animates this age and feeds the environmental crisis. We have fashioned ourselves golden calves in money, fame, power, sex, and prestige. Calves that animate modern life. These idols do a funny thing to the modern man; they force him to consume more and more gadgets and trinkets to ordain self-made temples, to make these empty temples appear to be more holy than hallowed; a place to be desired rather than abhorred.
This idolatry does not just impact the rich and wealthy, but permeates all of life. It can be seen from our greatest halls of power to the billboards that adorn our highways and byways. We have fashioned ourselves an image of ourselves to worship and we desperately work to keep those images as close to home as possible. They line our bookshelves, occupy our movie collections, adorn our tables, and make their homes in our hearts. They overflow into our closest relationships and frame our working relationships. They are for what we spend hours of toil and work to obtain and without them we cannot imagine how/what would occupy our time.
For those of us who care about the environment, there is a real and substantial cost to these idols. There is no place on earth were our (meaning mankind’s) worship is not felt. We stride the world like a colossus looking for the next place to feed our appetite. It’s a rather unseemly process that impacts families, communities, geopolitics, and the health and realm of nations.
Take modern China, a nation that straddles the globe looking for more oil in Sudan, zinc from Australia and Peru, and copper from the Congo to feed its growing economic and material needs. Even unsavory dictatorships like Iran are courting Chinese money, for they understand that the human need for the material world is insatiable.
We rejoice when this sort of worship unintentionally lifts millions out of poverty, but as Christians we must pray that we not deliver people out of material poverty only to damn them to an everlasting spiritual poverty, one from which they will surely not recover.
Americans consume more per capita than any other people in the world, not because we are any worse than other peoples but because we can, meaning we have the means and increasingly without any moral restraints we do. We import some of the finest and most wonderful bounties of creation to feed our ever increasing broken societies, and for what. When will it ever be enough? At what point will the material idols stop demanding their temple sacrifice?
In an era of increased connectivity and ability to worship and connect communities of believers across great distances, we must be careful what we export to others. We dare not export our greatest shame and commodity (idolatry) least we cause others to stumble.
—-
Alexei Laushkin is the Director of Major Projects & Church Relations for the Evangelical Environmental Network. The views expressed on this post are his. He and his wife live in Alexandria, VA
