CREATION HOPE
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Frost , Methodist national evangelist , used to say ‘ When Christians take the earth seriously , people take the Gospel seriously .’ That has been our experience in A Rocha over nearly 40 years and in many countries . We do not do practical conservation just so that people might become Christians . We do it because we believe Jesus is Lord of creation . However , as people see Christians integrating their prayer-life , love for neighbour and care for the earth and its creatures , they seem to find this a profoundly attractive embodiment of the Gospel – the Good News of Jesus Christ .
Evangelism and disciple-making
Thirdly , mission includes not only evangelism but the lifelong task of disciple-making . The Great Commission ’ s scope includes ‘ teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you ’. Our aim is not only initial responses to Christ but whole lives lived out under his Lordship . As Tom Wright has put it , the Bible is less interested in what we are saved from , and more interested in what we are saved for . The Gospel is not about escaping to heaven , but about seeking the rule of Christ – the Kingdom of God – ‘ on earth as it is in heaven ’.
This is vital in understanding how creation care fits into Christian mission . It is not a bolted-on optional extra but central to God ’ s ultimate plans for Jesus to be restored to his rightful place with ‘ all things under his feet ’ ( Ephesians 1:22 ). ‘ All things ’ includes the whole created universe , and in the next verse we are reminded that Jesus ’ body here on earth is the church . Thus , our role as the body of Christ is intimately related to Jesus ’ rule over creation . Once again , creation care is seen to be integral to the Gospel itself , and to our mission as Christ ’ s hands and feet on earth .
So , based on Matthew 28:19-20 , our mission is , firstly , to fit within the Missio Dei , God ’ s mission from creation to new creation , then to demonstrate and proclaim the
Lordship of Jesus , and finally to be about whole-life discipleship . Creation care is therefore a full and natural part of mission . In recent years , missiology has caught up with this profoundly biblical insight . The Anglican Communion has adopted the Five Marks of Mission , 1 which can be summarised as evangelism , discipleship , compassion , justice and creation care . These are not in a hierarchy , but are five aspects of one mission , like segments of an orange . When fitted together , their effectiveness is greatest . All five belong in the life and witness of every local church and every individual disciple . Similarly , the Lausanne Movement has stated : ‘ The gospel is God ’ s good news , through the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ , for individual persons , and for society , and for creation . All three are broken and suffering because of sin ; all three are included in the redeeming love and mission of God ; all three must be part of the comprehensive mission of God ’ s people .’ 2 The gospel , therefore , is good news for creation , for society and for individuals , and our mission must include all of these too .
The overarching biblical story , from creation to new creation , reveals a God whose love flows ever outwards : in creating a very good world , in tasking humans with bearing God ’ s image towards other creatures , in covenant love to a lost people and a broken world and , supremely , in entering into creation in Jesus to bring hope , redemption and restoration both to people and to all creation . God ’ s missional love is a centrifugal force . It always pushes us beyond our comfort zones to look beyond ourselves and those like us . It called the Jews to be a light to the Gentiles . It sent the early church in concentric circles outwards from Jerusalem to Judaea , Samaria and the ends of the earth . It always stretches us to extend the Lordship of Christ further , until the whole earth is filled with his glory . This is the scope and the wonder of the mission that God has entrusted to us as his co-workers .
A Rocha case studies
In A Rocha ’ s work in very different contexts around the world , we seek to demonstrate this vision through practical conservation projects , working with local communities and seeking to show that Jesus is Lord .
Kenya
Is the conservation of a beautiful forest a luxury for those far enough from the edge of survival to sit back and enjoy their surroundings ? The communities adjacent to Arabuko-Sokoke Forest on the Kenyan coast depend on it for food , energy and construction materials . It might seem as though there is a choice to be made between the survival of the humans or the survival of the trees . But God ’ s intention is for his whole creation to flourish . When we pray , ‘ your kingdom come , on earth as it is in heaven ,’ we are praying for things to work the way God intended : for his glory and the good of all .
We recognize that unless community members benefit from the surrounding habitats , they will not grow to value , and in turn , protect them . In 2001 , we established the Arabuko-Sokoke Schools and Ecotourism Scheme ( ASSETS ). The project awards bursaries for secondary education to local students , on the basis that they agree to take part in conservation activities . After being taken into the forest to learn the names of some of the birds , Nickson Mwanyule , one of the ASSETS beneficiaries , said , ‘ I thought the birds were so beautiful and interesting . I decided then that I would