Paul, Matthew, and Entwined Roots in this Season of Creation

I am finding it an interesting exercise to read Paul and his letter to the divided church in Rome in this Season of Creation. It causes me to wonder if one of the ways we “live according to the flesh” is to sever our relationship with creation. Genesis reminds us that we are created from the soil in the image of the creating God to tend and care for all creation. Our wellbeing is intimately connected with that of creation. And yet so many of our prayers only talk about our need to love God, with no reference to Jesus’ repeating of the commandments to love God by loving our neighbour. And in this Season of Creation, I would include all creation and all creatures on this small common home as our neighbour. We might describe sin as being unable to find other ways of living even when we can see that our dependence on a fossil fuel economy is now altering the climate, reducing biodiversity, and choking us with pollution.  Paul invites us to know that the Spirit of God is with us in all that is happening. In the Spirit we are enabled to change and to live in hope. Hope is more than a feeling.  It is a way of life. That is something we can hang on to and offer to those who are stuck in fear at this time.

I think this week’s gospel reading from Matthew (13:24-30) offers us something else we might offer in our struggle to change. Too often we see those we see as being big emitters of greenhouse gases, or those who disagree with us as “the enemy”.  For example, the farming community is often judged by the actions of some, and those working to find ways of sustainable farming are invisible.  We are all struggling with these issues. We are all to blame, and we all have a role to play. Our roots are entangled whether we like it or not. So, in our struggles, in humility, let us treat each other as our neighbour, knowing we all have much to do. With hope let us learn to nurture our trickle of hope that God’s might river of justice and peace might flourish.

What can one person do? The Grantham Institute on climate change and the environment at Imperial College in London has a nine-point guide to what the average person might try to do to take action rather than just feel utterly overwhelmed and helpless:
1. Make your voice heard to politicians
2. Eat less meat and dairy
3. Cut back on flying
4. Leave the car at home
5. Reduce your energy use, and bills
6. Respect and protect green spaces
7. Bank and invest your money responsibly
8. Cut consumption and waste
9. Talk about the changes you make