It was one of those idyllic summer af­ternoons when, in spite of it being a Sunday and the pressure of needing to prepare for the evening service, the lure of fresh air was too great. My wife and I decided to explore Blockhouse Bay, an inlet on Auckland's Manukau Harbour. It's a pretty place, especially at high tide. The walkway petered out on a small promontory exposed to the brisk southerly that was whipping up the normally placid waters of the Harbour. Half a dozen fishermen had found a perch on the remains of a wooden jetty. As a piscatorial nut I found the scene irresistible and stole a moment to enjoy myself – just watching. A rod tip nodded briskly, indicating interest from a passing fish. The fisherman struck and triumphantly wound in a roll­mop sized kahawai. It ended up in his bag and, with a hunter's gleam in his eye, he feverishly rebaited his hook. Moments later his friend's rod indi­cated more interest and, yes, he landed a fish too – a 10cm long snapper. Into the bag it went.

My wife's restraining hand on my arm proved useless. I strode to the fish­erman, opened his bag, scooped out the hapless little fish and put it back where it belonged – in the briny. I congratulated myself on my self-control for not filling the man's ear with what it deserved. He too remained silent knowing that he had committed an offence in not throwing his 'trophy fish' back. Another stroller, who saw what had happened, came up and muttered, 'Good on ye mate! Should've done it meself'

There are strict laws about taking and killing undersized fish and, espe­cially in the Auckland area, about tak­ing undersized or too many seashells and crustaceans as well. Many of our public beaches and popular coastal fishing spots are festooned with picto­rial signs with explanations in various languages, outlining the limits, sizes, etc. of what may or may not be har­vested there. However, offenders take little notice and a marine desert is be­ing created. Huge ecological consequences are beginning to stare us in the face. In many respects my contri­bution to the environment was insig­nificant. One tiny fish in the huge ocean. But it raises a question that is anything but a tiddler. What of our re­sponse to environmental and ecologi­cal issues as Christians and from a distinctly Christian (and Reformed!) perspective? Do we care? Do you? Must you?

Everything Sparkles⤒🔗

Most New Zealanders tend to be­lieve that God's Own is still relatively pollution free and not especially threatened with ecological disaster. Clear blue skies, clean green scenery, sparkling water and an abundance of health and vitality characterises what we believe about ourselves. We just love and even believe the Toyota ads and the Air New Zealand one where Kiri te Kanawa sings our nation's favourite Maori ballad. Everything sparkles. But look at and re­flect on our environment a little more closely and you will soon feel distinctly uneasy. An afternoon walk in Auckland's Waitakere Ranges reveals the near op­pressive silence of the bush. Where are the birds? Even the cicadas seem fewer in number. Compare what you experience now with descriptions of the first settlers who 'complained' about the endless rau­cous cacophony of countless birds that filled our forests.

I recently saw a documentary on the Nelson Lakes National Park. Possums, stoats and especially wasps – all foreign invaders – dominate the environment and are changing it beyond recognition. It already is an ecological disaster. The documentary's commentator lamented that the only wings now heard in the beech forests is that of a million wasps. They not only consume the honeydew (and thus starve to death the native bird species) but even attack and consume the few remaining native insects such as wetas. Their impact is the equivalent of a 'scorched earth' campaign. It's not just the forests. Coastal waters which teemed with aquatic life a mere generation ago are now virtually lifeless – ask any fisherman. If this is what's happening here – imagine what the state of affairs is in the northern hemisphere! It is no longer a crisis in the making. The hour has struck in many areas. Check out the potential for all-out war in North Atlantic fishing waters where overfishing has not only enormous ecological but also financial implications.

The End of the Age?←⤒🔗

Does God care? Do we? Does it re­ally matter? Aren't we fast approaching the end of the age – that Day which will come like a thief, when 'the heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.'? (2 Peter 3:10) The ecological crisis seems to spark little real interest from the vast majority of Christians. Very obviously, the impact of Greek dualism which exalted the soul (non-material) and despised the body (the physical) still lingers in much of Christian thinking. Spiritual concerns and challenges invariably get priority in our circles.

For example:

• There is the priority of proclaiming the gospel in an increasingly antagonis­tic, post-Christian age. It's hard work. Capturing souls for Christ is our pri­mary task in this world. Saving souls is more important than saving forests, whales and birds.

• Church life presents more than a plate full. We have a great responsibility to love and care for fellow human beings – especially those who belong to the household of God. Given human needs and misery, our plates are al­ready overloaded.

• Our own children! The hugely expen­sive and time-consuming fight to main­tain Christian education is like a bot­tomless pit.

• Christian politics is more than enough 'extra-cur­ricular' activity for those with time to spare.

Adding environmental and ecological issues to our agendas spreads resources even more thinly. It is easier to buy into the prevailing 'Christian' attitude which sees the impending ecologi­cal and environmental disas­ter as another sign of the soon-to-come Day of the Lord. This in its turn justifies the idea that the rescue of souls is the greater priority. When all is said and done, the earth and everything in it is destined for burning. Our resources as a Christian community are already stretched beyond what is rea­sonable.

Greenies←⤒🔗

Even if we as Christians haven't openly said these things, our silence and attitude have certainly demonstrated it. How? Christians, especially evangelicals, have left environmental and ecological concerns to organisations like Greenpeace and to the greenies. Mem­bers of the New Zealand Society for the Protection of Birds and clones have be­come the environment's watchmen and women on the towers and walls. Chris­tians aren't heard – or made to feel wel­come. Some of us have even taken the time to have a look at these movements and felt deeply offended by the anti-Chris­tian, pan(en)theistic views which drive and motivate them. Joining their ranks is therefore not an option. It would be an impossible yoking (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). No place there and so we leave them well alone. 'Not my scene.' We soothe our consciences by reminding ourselves that a body can only do so much. There are other (spiritual!) priorities. We already have more than enough on our plates.

The Result?←⤒🔗

The environmental lobby hears little from a Christian perspective and continues to promote the idea that Christianity is at best indifferent and more usually hostile to these issues. The assumption is that Christianity is respon­sible for the present ecological and en­vironmental crisis and has no answers. Little wonder that it is especially in these quarters that Christianity is generally despised, regarded and counter-produc­tive and no longer relevant for this day and age.

And yet Christians sing:

This is my Father's world,
And to my listening ears
All nature sings and round me rings
The music of the spheres.

This is my Father's world;
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas –
His hand the wonders wrought.¹

Scripture teaches us that this is our Father's world and handiwork. (Genesis 1:1ff., Psalm 24:1, 2) The heavens and the earth declare his glory (Psalm 19). Ours is a mandate to fill the earth and subdue it, to rule over every living crea­ture. (Genesis 1:26, 28) God's Word plainly reveals the entire creation groans as in the pains of childbirth longing to be set free from its subjection to frustration. (Romans 8:20-23) We are responsible for this world and called to care for and look after it in God's name as God's vice-re­gents. Therefore, to pollute, exploit, mindlessly trample and destroy this world violates God's mandate to us. To ignore the physical by exalting only the spiritual is to despise God's handiwork. The de­struction of the environment affronts and grieves God as much as any other sin. But there is much more at stake. When the good ship, M. V. Doulos recently vis­ited Auckland, I succumbed to the pressure and paid a visit. The bookshop con­tained a 'special' (Yes, I am Dutch!) by Richard A Young entitled Healing the Earth. A Theocentric Perspective on En­vironmental Problems and Their Solu­tions.² Excellent reading.

Young makes a number of points that should really set the cat amongst com­placent pigeons. Let me bring a few to your attention.

1. Richard Young points out that the ranks of environmentalism have been thoroughly infiltrated and are currently being driven by pantheistic beliefs. Envi­ronmentalism and pantheism are welded together inextricably whereas Christian environmentalism seems to be a con­tradiction of terms. He adds, 'It is with­out question that the ecological crisis has given impetus to the rise and ex­pansion of pantheistic thought in the West.' ³New Age globalism has become popular and powerful in the West pre­cisely because it is interested in and concerned to address and solve environmental issues. At the same time, the silence of the Christian community has been interpreted as proof that it has noth­ing to say.
   
   If we Christians want to address con­temporary society, we must meet and address them where their interest and focus lies. Ecological and environmen­tal issues are a huge concern in contemporary society. New Age spirituality acknowledges and exploits this to the max. It has captured the popular imagi­nation by promoting the idea that today's crisis is due to Christianity and that the solution lies in pantheism. The silence of Christians is seen as capitulation to the charges. It is often said that the sects are no more than the unpaid bills of the Church. When the Church fails to address an issue, sects will! New Age globalism has found a ready audience in the Western world because the Church was not addressing these concerns. See the challenge?

2. Back in 1966 Lynn White Jr., deliv­ered to the American Association for the Advancement of Science an address entitled "The Historical Roots of Our Eco­logical Crisis." ⁴White maintained that 'Christianity bears a huge burden of guilt' for the degradation of the environment because of the attitude toward nature it has spawned throughout Western society. 'What people do about their ecology depends on what they think about them­selves in relation to things around them. Human ecology is deeply conditioned by beliefs about our nature and destiny – that is, by religion.' ⁵ White's arguments are summarised by Young as follows:
   
   a. Christianity's victory over pagan animism desacrelized nature and thereby removed the restrains that prevented people from mistreating nature.
   b. God's only pur­pose for nature, according to Genesis, was to serve human needs.
   c. Human transcendence over nature gives human beings the right to manipulate and exploit it to suit their own interests.
   
   To be sure, these arguments have been rebut­ted by Christians – but for all that, con­tinue to pass as normal fare whenever environmentalists air their views and concerns. Rarely do Christians respond – or know how to.

3. Young points out that when there has been a Christian response, it is of­ten rather piecemeal. I would add that this is also true within our own Reformed circles. Whilst the evangelical/reformed tradition has been concerned to teach and articulate basic truths such as justi­fication by faith alone, the doctrines of grace, etc., a clear statement of what we believe concerning our relation to the world of nature and our responsibility to and over it is often overlooked or made peripheral. If we are going to address the contemporary, postmodern and post-Christian Western world in a real and relevant way, environmental issues need to become a priority. The challenge is too big to be missed or ignored.

Now for a Challenge←⤒🔗

Richard Young's book inspired me to begin to look more closely at the issue. Whatever else, it is time we started to think about and begin to draw attention to these matters. How? I thought by means of this article to stimulate interest amongst our churches. However, more than that, I would be very interested to know if there are any others in our churches who are interested in and have perhaps already done some work in this area. Is there a possibility of creating a special-interest group within our churches which could stimulate interest, research, publish is­sues and findings and thus begin to act in a watchdog capacity on behalf of our churches and beyond? Anyone interested? I'd love to hear from you!