INTERVIEW
JS Can you tell us about any signs you
have seen lately that the local church
is waking up to its responsibilities to
steward the earth?
There are signs of hope all over
the world. Progress in this area is
being led by the church leaders of
the poor world because it is the poor
who are most directly suffering the
consequences of our environmental
irresponsibility. If you look at the A
Rocha website (arocha.org) you will see
examples which are deeply heartening.
I also think it is a generational thing.
I think it’s instinctive for younger
Christian leaders to understand what’s
happening not just in their personal
lives but in the wider world.
JS What advice would you give to
preachers who want to preach on the
environment?
Well, of course we have to examine
our own lives first. We all have a long
way to go to live faithfully the renewed
relationship with creation, which is the
vision of scripture. So the first thing we
need to do is to repent. We need to live
first what we are going to preach. But
then I would just say that we should be
faithful to the text and that will do the
job for us. From beginning to end, this
is such a deeply biblical message. The
job of the preacher is to be faithful
to the text and the text will do
the job for you.
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WE ALL HAVE A LONG WAY TO
GO TO LIVE FAITHFULLY THE
RENEWED RELATIONSHIP WITH
CREATION, WHICH IS THE VISION
OF SCRIPTURE. SO THE FIRST
THING WE NEED TO DO IS TO
REPENT. WE NEED TO LIVE FIRST
WHAT WE ARE GOING TO PREACH.
JS You travel the world speaking and
teaching on the subject of creation
care. How would you say you are
received now, as compared with the
early days of A Rocha when perhaps
your message was more controversial?
Do you feel you are now speaking to a
converted audience, or do you sense
you still have a prophetic voice?
To be honest, because life is short,
we’ve tended to work increasingly with
those who are hungry and welcome
this message. I have found my early
conviction, that it would be enough to
read the Bible carefully with church
leaders for them to have a kind of
Damascus Road experience about
creation care, was misjudged. It should
humble us all that we can be so deeply
rooted in our convictions and culture.
But in general these days from a
strategic point of view – because we
are overwhelmed with requests for help
from all around the world – we tend to
respond to those who want to be on this
journey, rather than trying to persuade
those who are very unconvinced or who
regard creation care as a dangerous
side show.
Peter’s book, Kingfisher’s Fire (Monarch, 2008),
which tells the story of A Rocha, is available
through your local Christian bookshop and online.
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