The colours of the wind are changing. The green grassland is brown with desertification. The blue sky is yellow with sandstorm and the cities grey with smog. With deep pathos, the Chinese singer Tan Weiwei screams a stern warning in her song:
Why has the sky turned grey?
Why is the land not green?
Why is human heart not red?
Why are the snow on the mountains black?
We can add more questions in this present Anthropocene age where the good earth is degraded with the worsening climate crisis: What will it take to awaken Christians to the crisis which is not only environmental but ecological; not only missiological but theological; not only social but also deeply spiritual?
It appears that Christians struggle to justify why we need to engage in environmental care as it appears to be a secular issue. On the contrary the issue is a spiritual one. Our care for creation stems not from practical and social concerns for the ecological crisis alone but also from a theological understanding of our roles in Christ’s New Creation. Our Christian hope based on the Cross of Christ planted on the devastated earth with the harassed humanity, challenges our vision of discipleship and refreshes our mission of care and compassion. This is a call for a renewed Christian spirituality adequate for our environmental engagement.
Click HERE to read a sample chapter from this book.
Lawrence Ko is the National Director of Singapore Centre for Global Missions. He has been a pastor, corporate trainer and missions director over the past 27 years, engaged with projects in human resource development, Christian media and environmentalism.
The printed publication is available at the Bible Resource Centre (7 Armenian Street, S179932) or via online purchase by clicking here (retail price: S$10). E-book is also available now (@S$5.35 w/GST) by clicking here.