Colourful Dreamer

As we continue our Season of Creation, reflecting on how our trickles of concern, prayer, and action combine with those others from churches all around the world to become God’s mighty river of justice and peace, we are invited to reflect on what the Reign or Kingdom of Heaven on this world might look like? In the shadow of life-threatening climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution what is it we pray for every time we pray that “God’s will be done on earth as in heaven.” Paul in his letter to the churches in Rome reminds us that all of creation groans and writhes under the crushing weight of human sin, neglect and indifference. God’s Spirit is within the groaning, yearning for us and within us, yearning for true community for all creation, yearning for all that is held in the covenant to be fulfilled. We are to work with God in giving birth to God’s community, trusting and hoping that even when not a lot seems to be happening that God is at work, the yearning of the Spirit of G...

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...