Everywhere the salvation of Jesus Christ brings new life and new beginnings: for humanity, and for all creation. This is the hallmark of the kingdom of God ”“ the kingdom that both is, and is to come. And though we know we shall see such redemption in all its fulness at the end of time, we are also to be part of the coming of the kingdom here and now ”“ partners with Christ in his good news for all creation.
But the stark truth is that creation itself is a battle-ground for God’s kingdom ”“ at the hands of the most destructive elements of selfish, greedy, short-sighted, sinful humanity. Pollution, environmental degradation, global warming, climate change ”¦ We are complicit in the varying weather patterns that bring worse floods, harsher droughts. We see this happening within Southern Africa. Even more seriously, across the Indian Ocean ”“ which laps so pleasantly on Durban’s beaches ”“ the entire nation of the Maldives is threatened with being wiped off the map, as the sea rises and covers their islands.
God calls us to be part of the solution, not part of the problem ”“ part of the coming of the kingdom, partners in his working of redemption and salvation.
”˜Seek the Lord and live ”¦’ says the prophet Amos, condemning greed and corruption in the exploitation of the earth’s resources and its people. The same choice lies before us. Will we seek the Lord and the ways of life ”“ as individuals, and also as members of the communities, society, nation, and global human family of which we are a part?