Monday, January 10, 2011
The Latest Idol
Justin Taylor quotes a look at a new booklet on Christians and the environment. The conclusion is straightforward, there is a confusion amongst Christians with environmental concerns as to precisely who is God in the picture.
Frankly, that's true anytime the is a "movement" of some sort - the cause becomes more important than the reason for the cause. But it is particularly tricky when it comes to "creation care."
Let's look at global warming as an example. That issue requires a "global view." It is not an issue that can be addressed or understood on a local level - the level we readily experience - it requires looking at the entire planet. I mean lets face it we are talking rises in the global mean temperature of a few degrees - not the temperature outside - the average temperature of the entire planetary climatological system. We used to call such things a "God's eye view."
When we take such a view, and assume we can control that view - we are exercising near God-like powers. We are not God, which is why we tend to screw it up even when we are trying to fix it.
The bottom line is this - there is a deep humility required to do such things. That humility is born both of science - that is to say having a proper understanding of the limits of our data and our conclusions - and of faith - that is the humility that can only be born of sharing Christ's salvation from our awful sin.
I think it is fair to say that in general the American church lacks that level of humility - so before we go and pick up this cause, we need to work onthat basic lesson first.
You want to teach "creation care?" How about you teach about sin and humility. We figure that out and I think the rest of it will take care of itself.
Frankly, that's true anytime the is a "movement" of some sort - the cause becomes more important than the reason for the cause. But it is particularly tricky when it comes to "creation care."
Let's look at global warming as an example. That issue requires a "global view." It is not an issue that can be addressed or understood on a local level - the level we readily experience - it requires looking at the entire planet. I mean lets face it we are talking rises in the global mean temperature of a few degrees - not the temperature outside - the average temperature of the entire planetary climatological system. We used to call such things a "God's eye view."
When we take such a view, and assume we can control that view - we are exercising near God-like powers. We are not God, which is why we tend to screw it up even when we are trying to fix it.
The bottom line is this - there is a deep humility required to do such things. That humility is born both of science - that is to say having a proper understanding of the limits of our data and our conclusions - and of faith - that is the humility that can only be born of sharing Christ's salvation from our awful sin.
I think it is fair to say that in general the American church lacks that level of humility - so before we go and pick up this cause, we need to work onthat basic lesson first.
You want to teach "creation care?" How about you teach about sin and humility. We figure that out and I think the rest of it will take care of itself.
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