Photo by Fateme Alaie on Unsplash
The New (Global) Ethics
You would have thought from the attention being given to global warming across the media, that this issue should be the greatest priority for everyone on the planet.
Sweeping right across the globe through the internet and especially through social media, a new global ethics has emerged. No longer are faithfulness and honesty and integrity and truthfulness the moral compasses we should follow, but in their place are a small handful of new "must-have" moral imperatives.
If you are found wanting on any one of these, though you might be honest, faithful in marriage, truthful and kind, you are backward, on the wrong side of history and a moral dinosaur - or worse.
You must, for example champion gay rights. You must champion the right of anyone who wishes to attempt to change their gender. And of course you must be an eco-warrior.
To either disagree with any of these new Global Ethical Priorities or to place other priorities above them is to attract the condemnation of the world's ethical elite.
The truth of course, is that man-made Global Ethics come and goes. Why tie yourself to a changing system which will be outdated before the century is half out?
For we who love the Lord, it would be very easy to absorb, via websmosis, the ethical pirorities of the world around us, rather than being transformed by the renewing of minds shaped by the light of Scripture.
Christians are called to steward all of God's gifts - including the Planet
We can respond positively. Christians, convinced that God created this world which in turn reveals his glory, believe that we are called to steward all of his good gifts.
Placed in the garden to take care of it, Adam and Eve were given the enormous privilege of both enjoying creation and caring for it (Genesis 2:15). As kings and queens over God's world (Genesis 1:28) we should care for it and expect one day a reckoning on how we looked after all the gifts God has graciously given to us -including the planet.
So, just as we are to be good stewards of the spiritual gifts we have been given, just as we are to be good stewards of the money and possessions God has given us, so we are called to be stewards of the created (not natural) world around us.
And what a beautiful world it is!
Photo by Qingbao Meng on Unsplash
Knowledge brings responsibility
The only reason climate change has come to the fore as a global issue is the advance of science. Not only have scientists gathered evidence that shows the damage we are presently doing to the earth's sensitive ecosystems and climatic conditions, we now have powerful computer modelling which allows us to predict the future.
And although all computer modelling is highly sensitive to input conditions and modelling assumptions, there is no reason to disbelieve the key predictions: that through the emission of harmful gasses into the atmosphere we are all wreaking havoc on this fragile world.
(We must remember that computer modelling of systems as complex as the whole earth's climate, past and future are fallible. The weather forecast over my house is wrong at least 50% of the time, and that is a much smaller model. There's no reason to doubt the main findings of climate change models, but never put your trust in science or scientists who are as fallible as the rest of us).
This new knowledge brings responsibility. Before Christians knew that smoking was dangerous to our bodies, "a smoke and a pint to the glory of God" could be excused. But now we know smoking damages the temple of the Holy Spirit, smoking is rightly frowned upon.
Knowledge brings responsibility.
Fine Tuning
As an aside, no-one in the present debate seems to be taking notice of how come our present climatic conditions are so so Goldilocks (just right) like. Hidden away in the present debate is one of the many proofs of the existence of a creator God.
The nations of the world want to limit the average global increase to 1.5 degrees Centigrade. Think about it. The beautiful world we live in has been so finely tuned that a change of only a few degrees will upset the balance and cause catastrophic and permanent disaster.
Our temperature scale begins at - 273 degrees C (absolute zero), runs up to 0 degrees C at which water melts, all the way to 100 degrees at which water turns into a vapour. Across that 400 degree range, just a change of a few degrees will wreak havoc!
How come this incredible fine-tuning? It looks as though a great mind has played a role in shaping the complex conditions of planet earth, does it not?
We should be using the present crisis evangelistically, as just one more fine-tuning argument which points to the existence of a good Creator.
Do what you can
Every believer should settle in their own mind how they can and should personally play a role in reducing their negative impact on the environment. Walk more, car less, buy less, recyle more, and so on.
Each must be convinced in his or her mind without compulsion - and for sure without sermons. God forbid that churches should now become the champions of the new ethics!
But, how important is this Planet?
There is however, in a mind informed by Scripture, a very big question mark over the future of this particular planet. God has revealed to us his future plans, and they include the renewing of this present creation.
We know that God has a Planet B.
We know that this planet's days are numbered, because we and it belong to a cursed creation that is "in bondage to decay." (Romans 8:21)
"We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to this present time." (Romans 8:22)
We know - for sure - that this planet is doomed.
"The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare." (2 Peter 3:10)
"In keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness." (2 Peter 3:13)
It is not that we don't care for our present planet, it's that we know for sure that we cannot ultimately save it. We know humanity's future does not lie here. We know God is going to recreate the whole of the cosmos including the earth, so we are looking forward to a "new heaven and a new earth", as John looks forward, "for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away." (Revelation 21:1)
The reason this world is under a curse is because humanity, which in God's eyes is far more important than the earth, is under a curse because of sin. The earth's past, present and future is intimately connected to mankind's sin.
So the reason the world will be made new, is because God is planning to make his new humanity, the church, brand new. They will be given new resurrection, never-to-die-again, bodies.
"The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed..." (Romans 8:19)
Once mankind's redemption is made clear, the earth will be renewed.
Our hope is not in this present planet - the Scriptures tell us that it is ultimately doomed. Let's do what we can, but in the end God's judgement upon a fallen world will prevail.
Our hope is in a made-new heavens and earth, where there will be no curse.
Summing it all Up
Should we care for the planet? Yes we should, for God made it and expects us to look after it.
Should global warming become our primary ethical issue? Absolutely not. The greatest priority of the church is not to slavishly follow the contours and vagaries of here-today-gone-tomorrow global ethics but to make the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the invisible souls of mankind our top priority, so that men and women reconciled to God can have hope for the world to come and look forward to a new heavens and a new earth.
The Gospel remains our top priority - not Global warming.
Our great hope is that one day King Jesus Christ is returning to planet earth in splendour and glory to bring earth's history to an end and to usher in a new heavens and a new earth.
And all those who trust in him will enjoy this new eternal world of joy.
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