ALL OF CREATION PRAISE GOD?

This week, it has been my pleasure to meet, visit with, and hear the Rev. Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. of the Riverside Church in New York City. Dr. Forbes is a guest lecturer at First United Methodist Church in Wichita Falls, Texas as a part of the Perkins Lecture Series that has taken place there since 1943. He has been truly inspiring.

In visiting with him on Sunday, he mentioned the need for the church to make a statement of faith concerning our need as the church to support the protection of the natural environment around us. Although I have believed it was necessary for the church to support these things, I had never put much thought toward a theological statement of faith in regards to this. Below are certain Scripture passages that have come to mind as I have thought about this as well as why they came to mind.

Psalm 148:
¹ Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
² Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his host!

³ Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars!
⁴ Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!

⁵ Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for he commanded and they were created.
⁶ He established them forever and ever;
he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.

⁷ Praise the LORD from the earth,
you sea monsters and all deeps,
⁸ fire and hail, snow and frost,
stormy wind fulfilling his command!

⁹ Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
¹⁰ Wild animals and all cattle,
creeping things and flying birds!

¹¹ Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
¹² Young men and women alike,
old and young together!

¹³ Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
his glory is above earth and heaven.

¹⁴ He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for all his faithful,
for the people of Israel who are close to him.
Praise the LORD! (NRSV)

Colossians 1:
¹⁵ [The Son] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; ¹⁶ for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. ¹⁷ He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸ He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. ¹⁹ For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰ and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. (NRSV, emphasis mine)

Psalm 139:
⁷ Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? ⁸ If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. ⁹ If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, ¹⁰ even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast. (NRSV)

Acts 17:
²⁸ For "In [God] we live and move and have our being. . . .” (NRSV)

I am struck by the psalmist's words of calling not just people, but, in essence, all of creation to praise God. We as a church easily focus our efforts on providing ways for people to praise God. We chastise people, groups, governments, etc. that seem to prevent us from worshiping God in the ways we might think appropriate. Yet, we think nothing of cutting down a rain forest for our profit, taking away the plants' abilities to praise God by providing CO₂ and habitation for numerous animals (some of which are endangered). We think nothing of dumping chemicals in a river that kill plants and animals (not to mention ourselves), preventing these from fulfilling their God-given purposes in creation.

I am struck by the author of Colossians who claims that God's concern is not just for people to be reconciled to God but all things – all of creation – to be reconciled to God. We as a church easily focus our efforts on participating in God reconciling people to God's self. We struggle against things that stand in the way reconciling people to God. Yet, we balk at spending tax dollars to clean up parts of God's creation. We balk at emissions controls on automobiles and factories that raise the cost to us, the consumers, even though these will help save God's creation.

I am struck by Psalm 139, Acts 17, and ideas espoused by Marcus Borg that remind us that God is truly here with us – in creation and in us (also God's creation). Although the dirt is not God, God is in the dirt. We as a church easily focus our efforts on criticizing manufacturers of items (i.e. cigarettes, liquor, drugs, etc.) that destroy our bodies, which Paul claims are the “temple of God / the Holy Spirit.” Yet, if we truly believe (and I do) that God is not just transcendent (out there) but also immanent (right here), are we not destroying God's temple (not to mention the place we also live) when we destroy the lakes, rivers, forests, ozone layer, etc? Of course we are!

I see this as a very strong theological rationale for us as a Christian community to support reform that protects our environment. Let us save our and God's environment.