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This Groaning Eden
A Response to Scott Sabin's 'Whole Earth Evangelism'
To facilitate a truly global conversation, we ask Christian leaders from around the world to respond to the Global Conversation's lead articles. These points of view do not necessarily represent Christianity Today magazine or the Lausanne Movement. They are designed to stimulate discussion from all points of the compass and from different segments of the Christian community. Please add your perspective by posting a comment so that we can learn and grow together in the unity of the Spirit.
Etienne is not a Filipino name, but the settings and scenarios of Etienne's life shared by Scott Sabin are realities in many places in the Philippines. The Philippines is a tropical country of 7,107 islands. It is one of the world's richest countries in terms of biodiversity, but its people discovered their country's richness at the same time they launched its destruction, the latter happening at a very fast pace. Now only 6 percent forest cover is left. Like Etienne and his family, most Filipinos are unaware of the root cause of the mudslides, heavy flooding, drought, and sickness that plague their desperate lives. Most think that they are poor because they do not have money to spend.
The Philippines has a population of about 90 million. For a country that prides itself as "the only Christian country in Asia" (85 percent Catholic), it also holds the title as the fourth most corrupt among 16 countries surveyed in Asia. An estimated 30 percent live below the poverty line. The present condition of the country's natural resources mirrors the quality of life of many Filipinos. The very people who bear the name of the Creator, who cry out to God daily about their suffering, have overlooked the abundant God-given resources that far exceed their basic needs. The Philippines is blessed with beautiful mountains, rivers, and abundant marine life, but neglect and abuse of these "life support systems" have made many Filipinos poor. They opted for logging, slash-and-burn agriculture, encroachment, urbanization, poaching, indiscriminate clearing, use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, improper waste disposal, mining—anything that can help generate money at all costs. And they do not stop. It seems that no amount of campaigning for nature can change the hardened hearts of these people, nor can repeated calamity.
I remember when a ship carrying tons of deadly Endosulfan chemical, intended for the vast pineapple plantations in Mindanao, sank near an island south of the Philippines. For months, the people of the island refused to eat fish for fear of poisoning. Ironically, in the pineapple plantations, the farmers and their families inhale the chemical the whole year round and no one is bothered at all. Killing them slowly is okay.
What about the Gospel? The loving Creator and Redeemer still asks, "Where are you?" in this groaning Eden. No one wants to tend the garden.
There are more than 25,000 evangelical churches listed with the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches. In my numerous butterfly-watching trips, I have visited some of these churches, even in the remotest villages of the Philippines. Environmental stewardship is slowly gaining ground as an aftermath of Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana), which devastated Metro Manila last year. Climate change became a byword in every household as the culprit that caused the tragedy. I asked three pastors on different occasions why environmental stewardship is not preached, and all three asked for materials on creation care. What happened to Genesis?
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TaylorNicole
I think that we should take a greater responsiblilty for creation ,but there is a fine line between taking care and obsessing. I think a Christian can look at creation and see the beauty of God in it so that should inspire us to take care of it. I do believe that humanity, in general, doesn’t care for this world and the poor, and that the world is now reaping the consequences.
Summer Bri'ann
I loved the author's idea of good stewardship going hand in hand with the gospel. It is very true that in other parts of the world, the climate and enviromental changes effect them more than it may effect us. I believe when we are building relationships globally with the body of Christ we could be increasingly more effective to our brothers and sisters if we teach them or encourage them to be good stewards of creation. However, our first mission field, in the area of stewardship, needs to be at home.
Caleb Robert Link , United States
Evangelical Christianity is the primary force destroying Christianity.
Jeffrey Spencer, United States
Mr. Furfari asks, "let us not change Christian civilization that has led to progress and prosperity for billions." What he fails to acknowledge is that the global warming crisis is changing climate world-wide -- the very climates on which this civilization is based. Because we human beings are causing climate change, we are dooming our own civilization. We must address the global warming crisis and the only way to do this is to reduce our carbon footprints, especially those of us who live in (and benefit from) the "developed" part of the world.
Roger McKinney, USA
I don't think it's true that Christians have ignored creation until recently. That is an exaggeration fabricated by people who want to sell books and by the radical environmentalists who want moral support for their corrupt, earth-worshiping agenda. Creation care is nothing but good stewardship, which has always been at the heart of Christian teaching. And it's part of helping the poor. The only thing Christians have failed at is worshiping creation as some want us to do. I can guarantee you that those who make creation their idol have no interest whatsoever in saving souls. Christians have no reason join them and nothing to be ashamed of in regard to the traditional Christian stance toward creation.
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