Environment

A Theological Framework

To Israel's prophets, the work of God in Creation is threatened especially by misused or misdirected human freedom (sin). The tragedy of the earth's sickness is based upon the empirical reality of "Israel's" persistent blindness and rebellion as evident in her false lifestyle.

The animal knows its master, but Yahweh's children rebel against the one who nurtured them. Isaiah 1:3

The birds follow their homing instincts, but Israel does not know Yahweh's ordinance. Jeremiah 8:7

According to the prophets, once divine judgment has been accomplished, God will make a new beginning, giving human beings a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26-28) and bringing them into a new covenant relationship (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hosea 2:18-23).

Not only will humankind enter a new history, but non-human creatures, who are also embraced within God's covenant (Genesis 9:8-17) will be transformed (Isaiah 11:6-9). Thus a prophetic hope for the future moves toward a vision of the new creation "the new heaven and the new earth" (Isaiah 66:22).

The doctrine of creation underlines and validates the truth that history, from beginning to end, is under the sovereign purpose of God as revealed in Jesus Christ, "the alpha and the omega," "the first and the last," "the beginning and the end" (Revelation 1:17, 22:13; 3:14). The whole sweep of history points to God and to his son, Jesus Christ who comes to seek and to save that which is lost (Luke 19:10) to redeem and reconcile the world to himself (Col. 1:19,20).

Though called to live in the present fullness of time the Christian community from a position of faith revealed in God's revelation in Christ looks both behind and ahead. We await the full disclosure of the new creation which even during the present age is in an ongoing unfolding process of revelation.

We are concerned that often traditional interpretations of the Bible have not been read with regard to God's explicit design that human beings are called into a covenant relationship which binds all human and non-human creatures together with God. At the heart of our concern is that until recently most humans have arrogantly asserted that human destiny is divorced from the destiny of the other members of the created world. We have seen our role in relationship to the natural world and non-human creatures not so much as caretakers and stewards but as conquerors and dominators due to a misreading of Genesis 1:28. This mind set has served to reduce and diminish the grandeur and fertility of the natural world, weakened the biosphere, restrict our cooperation with the functioning of the natural order and served to restrict our imaginative power. In short, the basis of the ecological catastrophe which grips the earth is a result of a lost sense of divine presence fostered by a partial and highly anthropocentric interpretation of spirituality.

The Current Situation

The earth has been despised, ignored and abused. As a result of this, the earth is taking away the oxygen we breathe, the purity of the rain, protection from harmful cosmic rays, the careful balance of climate and the fruitfulness of the soil. The tortured conflict between combative religious and scientific approaches to the inter-communion of all living and non-living components of the universe have invalidated, with devastating consequences, the delicate balance in which the creation is held. The unsatisfying communication between religion and technology have left the earth with no sustaining value system to deal with the experience of what to do with the depletion of the finite resources of our planet brought on by the plundering assault of human beings.

A remedy for this is to establish a deeper understanding of the spiritual dynamics of the universe as revealed through our own empirical insight into the mysteries of its functioning. The mission of the present and future generations is to develop, in the universal web of relationships, a more concrete capacity for mutual presence and a new way of understanding values. While this has not yet been achieved in a truly satisfactory manner there are hopeful signs that both the scientific and religious communities are developing a future course which embraces a perspective of the human community at large and with the universe itself.

Our Responsibility

All across the planet there are needs which, while differing in specific bio-regions, are, nevertheless, able to be singled out as points of greatest concern which need immediate attention. With the help of environmental experts in our area we have defined a concern which, once focused upon, can be dealt with in an appropriate and meaningful way to restore equilibrium to our area. Our immediate focus is on waste reduction, recycling, and reuse programs as a means eventually to eliminate incineration and landfilling. We compiled this four point plan of action as a good beginning toward solving our garbage problems.

A moratorium should be effected immediately on the construction of new garbage incinerators until comprehensive waste reduction, recycling and reuse alternatives have been maximized and strict environmental, health and occupational protection standards have been adopted for the wide range of toxic chemicals found in incinerator airborne emissions and ash residues.

All forms of incinerator ash should be managed as hazardous waste.

Local, state and national comprehensive waste reduction, recycling and reuse programs should be established on a mandatory basis to eliminate 60 to 90 percent of current waste output in ten to 20 years, respectively. Communities should begin implementing these programs as a condition of all existing state federal solid waste permits. Until they have been fully established, no new permits should be granted sanctioning construction or operation of landfills, ash monofills, transfer stations and, most important incinerators.

So-called "integrated" solid waste management systems should be opposed.

Moving beyond reuse and recycling efforts we urge all members of the religious community to join us in the effort to restore balance to our natural surroundings.

Bibliography

• Thomas Berry, The Dream of the Earth, Sierra Club Books.

• Matthew Fox, The Coming of the Cosmic Christ, Harper & Row, 1988.

• Matthew Fox, Original Blessing, Bear and Company.

• Philip N. Joranson & Ken Butigan, Cry of the Environment, Bear and Company.

• Sean McDonagh, To Care for the Earth, Bear and Company, 1986.

• Jonathan Weiner, Planet Earth, Bantam Books, 1986.