Sometimes the Bible is surprising!
COP27 has finished, reminding us all that climate change is looking like a massive, worldwide crisis, one jeopardising the futures of our children and everyone on the planet. But here’s an aspect that’s surprised me: does the Bible speak to this?
First the issues. Already we’re seeing extreme weather events (more frequent flooding and drought) ruining the lives of millions; melting icecaps, so rising sea-levels; the loss of biodiversity at rates not seen in the modern era. And the future seems more alarming still. A global temperature rise of 2.7C is thought likely to lead to massive damage to both the environment and human life; indeed, climate scientists say 1.5C is the most the world can be allowed to warm, compared to pre-industrial temperatures. But, we’re already at 1.2C; and on current levels of action, we’re headed to 2.4C by 2100. Scientists say meeting this 1.5C goal will require emissions to fall by 45 per cent on 2010 levels; to prevent the worst possible disasters, the world has less than eight years to halve fossil fuel emissions to below 1.5C, and 30 years to reduce them almost completely. It would be easy to despair. The UN secretary-general warned recently that the world is on a “highway to climate hell”: `This is our only hope of meeting our climate goals… Humanity has a choice: co-operate or perish. It is either a climate solidarity pact — or a collective suicide pact` – and humanity is not good at cooperation.
So: very serious. What does the Bible have to say? Some of us will be very surprised by some of the passages we’re about to unearth.
After all, isn’t the gospel that Jesus died to pay for our sins and take us to heaven; doesn’t that make global warming irrelevant? Well, no! The gospel of eternal salvation doesn’t mean we can be blindly irresponsible about this wonderful planet God has made; that becomes very clear as we dig into Scripture. One of President Reagan’s cabinet is supposed to have said, Why bother about the environment when Jesus is coming back soon? But that (if factual) would be outrageous and unbiblical. Yes we’re only temporarily in this world, but that’s not a reason for living anything but Christlike lives every second we’re here; if as Christians we’re renting a house only temporarily, it would be serious sin to use that as justification for trashing the place. No: God’s Word says that this is on His agenda – and this means that God’s Spirit is setting about implementing His agenda, and giving His people the power to play a part in it.
Perhaps a good starting-point is two Psalms: Psalm 24, rejoicing that this glorious planet `is the Lord’s, and everything in it`; and then the wonderful Psalm 104 spelling that out (probably anyone reading this could do nothing better than pause to read it!) It’s been said that governments won’t take action until there is widespread desire for change, built on an inspiring, positive vision for the earth: here it is! Alongside these, we must set what Genesis says about the things God created us humans to do, which includes to `take care` of our environment (2:15). (See also Psalm 8:4-8; and also Gen 1:26, about `ruling` it: this verse is often misunderstood, but it comes before the sinfulness of the Fall, so `ruling` here doesn’t mean to dominate and exploit, but instead to look after something caringly, like an ideal father. Look at 1 Samuel 8 if you want to grasp that distinction.)
God created us humans to be the conscious, thinking, decision-making, caring part of the planet. What impels us to care about the environment, then, is above all God’s command to be good stewards of His creation; not selfishness, or fear. Fear is not a bad thing; if we see blood in the toilet it may send us to the doctor to check whether we have cancer; and grasping how the Greenland ice is melting, and how we seem headed for a massively disastrous rise in global temperatures, may actually help us to action. Still the bigger issue for Christians must be, Are we doing what God made us for and commanded us to do? This wondrous earth is the Lord’s, He has created it and entrusted it to us; and He will hold us accountable for our stewardship!
But that’s not all. Reading Genesis helps us see how creation care is part of loving obedience to our God. But it’s also an unavoidable fruit of the second great commandment, God commanding us to love our neighbours as ourselves – which means caring for those who will suffer massively (and already are) as climate change gathers pace, leading to displacement of millions of people whose homes have become unlivable, on a scale our race has never seen. Climate change is hitting those living in poverty the hardest; last year, 5.5 million people’s lives were devastated by flooding. Ruth Valerio of Tear Fund writes, `For those who are already vulnerable, this is a life-threatening emergency that is pushing them further into poverty… Acting justly means not only responding to the needs of our immediate communities, but also looking to our global neighbours living in countries that do not have the financial protection or healthcare that we do.` God will not rejoice over us if all we do is to make sad noises and give a few pounds to refugee charities.
Then here’s a third thing that God makes clear in Scripture: what happens to the earth has a major spiritual dimension. That’s to say it’s not arbitrary; it’s directly linked to our rebellion, wrongdoing, and greed; and God cares about the damage our sin is doing. I’m going to quote a lot of Scripture now, because I’ve been amazed how much there is that’s relevant. Broad-brush first: Genesis 3 tells of the spreading breakdown that followed the first humans’ rebellion against God; the human/God relationship breaks, and the result is breakdown in the man/woman relationship; and then, noticeably (see 3:17), the human/nature relationship follows, with the ground itself being `cursed` because of our sin. And as this breakdown continues, it’s striking that a key feature is the destruction of Cain’s relationship with `the land`; we should note the repetition of `the ground` and `the earth` in 4:10-14 (see the PS to our post on Genesis 4 in this site’s Bible intros#1). Genesis seems repeatedly to present an intimate relationship binding us (and, our right- or wrong-doing) to the environment God set us to care for (unlike atheists, we have a worldview basis for speaking of this); a bonding that sin destroys. And then, there’s the trajectory of most of the old testament’s history. It leads up to the tragic moment when the Babylonians capture Jerusalem, destroy the temple, and take Israel into exile; and remarkably the end-point of 2 Chronicles’ account is given to the fact that the land itself needed deliverance because of human wrongdoing: Nebuchadnezzar `carried into exile to Babylon the remnant who escaped from the sword… The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested` (36:21, and cf Lev 26:34-35,42; NIV as usual). Finally, let’s note how the trajectory of the Bible as a whole leads up to the end of history, and here, explicitly, is how Rev 11:18 describes it: `The time has come for judging the dead… and for destroying those who destroy the earth.” God feels very strongly about those who destroy His earth!
So the idea is biblical that climate change, and the destruction of animal life, are directly linked to human sin, sin that should have been, and must be, avoided. And I’ve been – frankly – amazed how much more there is in Scripture that’s speaks to this; even as it gives us some rather unexpected perspectives. Israel is commanded, when in war they besiege a city, to remember the environment and not destroy its trees – `Are the trees of the field people, that you should besiege them?` (Deut 20:19). And it’s striking how often Scripture points to the effect of human wrongdoing on the land itself and the creatures that live there. `There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds… Because of this the land dries up, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field and the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea are dying` (Hosea 4:2-3). `Disgrace will cover your glory`, declares God through Habakkuk, `The violence you have done to [the great forest of] Lebanon will overwhelm you, and your destruction of animals will terrify you` (2:17). ‘Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell` (Num 35:33-34). `How long will the land lie parched and the grass in every field be withered? Because those who live in it are wicked, the animals and birds have perished` (Jer 12:4; yes, it really does say this!)
There’s more. `You have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness. Therefore the showers have been withheld, and no spring rains have fallen` (Jer 3:3; cf also vv1,9). `I will weep and wail for the mountains and take up a lament concerning the wilderness grasslands. They are desolate and untravelled, and the lowing of cattle is not heard. The birds have all fled and the animals are gone` (Jer 9:10). (The destruction of biodiversity, let’s remember, is the destruction of God’s masterpieces!) `The land is full of adulterers; because of the curse the land lies parched` (well, now), `and the pastures in the wilderness are withered` (Jer 23:10). A significant part of the biblical revelation, then, is that ecological collapse, destruction of animal life, parched lands, is not arbitrary, it’s directly linked to our wrongdoing. And it’s not hard to see how that applies to our own era.
So then: starting to do something about it should be on our agenda, because it’s on the agenda of God who is always the Redeemer (and will therefore empower us for this). And the coming of the `kingdom` in Jesus – and from then on in us, see how the kingdom features at the end of Acts – is precisely about God’s power starting to reverse the bad effects of our rebellion and the Fall. (See the Mark intro in Bible intros #3.) It won’t be a total reversal till the second coming, but substantial restoration brought about by God’s power in His people is very much God’s purpose now. As Francis Schaeffer puts it in his helpful book Pollution and the Death of Man, ` Christians who believe the Bible are not simply called to say that ” one day ” there will be healing, but that by God’s grace… it is possible to have substantial healing now in every area where there are divisions because of the Fall.` So once we grasp biblically how far our ecological crisis is the fruit of our rebellion and sin, we see the place too of our role in reversing this – as usual, meaning both the sinful root causes, and their disastrous results – through the power of the Spirit. But let’s notice first (it will encourage us!) how all this will finish up: Romans 8:18-22 tell us how `the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed… The creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God!` And we shouldn’t miss the sheer glory of Isaiah 11:6ff and 65:17-25 that describe how wonderful this liberated and restored creation will be.
So there most surely is hope: God clearly cares about the planet, and has purposes both to restore and transform His masterpiece creation. As in so many other areas, the full fruition of God’s purpose will only be accomplished by His intervention in His second coming, but we are called to work for transformation now. So it must surely be with the environment. Both it, and the creatures it contains, are God’s masterpieces, that must not be destroyed. God’s overall purpose includes that we who love Him should be a bridgehead for the preservation and restoration of this wonderful creation. We’re commanded, as we have been ever since Genesis 1, to be His stewards here; to be part of what He is doing, to live out our part in the web of relationships that’s creation, working at this in tandem with Him. (Which is also to say, failure to do so is very serious.)
So then what? I’m not an expert about the specifics, but here are some general pointers.
1 First: because God cares about this, we must ensure that this stays an issue for us as believers too. It may be a silent crisis – maybe nothing but the drip, drip, drip of glaciers melting far away, and firestorms in other countries than our own. But to forget about it – like with world hunger – can only be displeasing to God. (Tear Fund’s site offers an outline to help us in presenting these issues as a part of our church’s teaching programme: https://www.tearfund.org/-/media/tearfund/files/campaigns/reboot-campaign/climate-church-talk-2022.pdf )
2 Secondly: because there is a God and He cares, we must seriously pray (and fast?): Lord, have mercy! Putting prayer first like this is not a cop-out: James 4:2 is very clear that if you don’t ask you don’t get! That vital total, or near-total, cut in CO2 emissions by 2050 may feel an improbable goal, and we may feel powerless. We aren’t. `I urge, then, first of all`, says Paul in 1 Tim 2:2 (do we follow this?), `that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings [ie rulers] and all those in authority` – perhaps especially of the biggest countries, China, India, USA, Brazil… – `that we` – and especially God’s people in the countries that will be hit hardest by climate change – `may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.` Perhaps praying particularly for moral leadership and for genuinely concrete steps in phasing out fossil fuels.
3 Then, let’s pray for `all those in authority` in the big companies. The companies in Britain’s FTSE 100, the index of our largest companies, are responsible for a very significant slice of global CO2. Last year 31 members of the FTSE 100 were emitting carbon dioxide at a rate consistent with disastrous temperature increases of 2.7C or more by 2050. The World Wildlife Fund reported research showing that adoption of voluntary measures was proving patchy, inconsistently applied, or not applied at all, with a lack of technical action plans which set out how a company would meet their targets (only 20% of the FTSE 100 fully met this criteria). ` Climate pledges are not the same thing as emission cuts in the real world`, they concluded; indeed.
And where we pray we can support those who are active in lobbying etc; see https://www.tearfund.org/campaigns/climate-campaign and https://www.climateemergencytoolkit.com/ , also operationnoah.org and jri.org.uk .
4 Let’s pray for the scientific community: for God-given wisdom, for the development and implementation of God-given innovations that will enable carbon emissions to be reduced.
5 Because God cares about all this, we must make clear in election situations that, as a priority issue, we are supportive of tough choices; rather than saying `Not in my backyard` about solutions (like the famous politician who was supportive of wind turbines, but not where he liked to sail on holiday). All that’s needed is the will, but it’s commitment that’s the problem, the London Times has said. When it’s election time it’s all too easy to think like Groucho Marx’s famous words, Why should I care about posterity when posterity’s never done anything for me? Being Jesus-followers equips us to give a lead in facing up publicly to the tough choices. Jesus-followers should be saying to anyone who wants our vote: Are your party really going to get on with this? Likewise we should be making clear our support for policies (and let’s be clear that we know they have a price) that set aside money to help the poorer countries: those which generate far less emissions than we do, yet are among those hardest hit by climate change; and policies too that help pick up the bill for change to less destructive patterns of development in the global South. (Eg in switching from fossil fuels to renewables, and in adapting – agriculturally for example – to the planet’s warming.)
6 Because of God, we must be catalysts for an anti-greed revolution, a counterculture that unashamedly models unselfishness. So much of our culture is fuelled by greed, by consumption and supposed “must-haves”. We need to return to the idea of the camel and the needle’s eye, the idea that enough is enough. This is impossible without the power of the Holy Spirit being released in our culture; and we are His people. One obvious area to consider, because otherwise it generates so much CO2, is fostering the normality of refraining from unnecessary air travel; making it normal (for us too) to set aside time to travel by less destructive means (as earlier generations of missionaries did) – high speed trains for example. (Not forgetting the boring, unglamorous things like spending money to cut energy consumption in our homes: insulating our walls and loft might even be acts of creation-care discipleship…!)
With God on our side we can be confident! And let’s note this: It’s possible to argue about the climate change science (on these a fine resource is the website of Britain’s prestigious Royal Society, https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/projects/climate-change-evidence-causes/ ). But in other areas of life, if there was even a 1 in 5 chance that our own actions would lead to the ruin of other people’s lives (our `neighbours`), we as Jesus-followers would surely change our behaviour. In this case the probabilities are most definitely the other way round. Since the 1980s, each decade has been warmer than the previous one, according to the UN’s weather agency, and the warmest seven years have all been since 2015. (See also https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/sep/08/world-on-brink-five-climate-tipping-points-study-finds .) If our lifestyle and actions can very possibly lead to the ruin of other people’s (our `neighbours`) lives… What would Jesus do?
PS Here’s an extended PS about how bad things can quite possibly get, in the coming decades. A book worth considering seriously is Our Final Warning by Mark Lynas. Here’s part of the London Times’ review: `When we hear a newsreader say that the planet could warm by four degrees, we think, “Four degrees? That’s barely a twist of the thermostat. It can’t be that bad . . . right?” The vocabulary of climate science is abstruse… Those looking for more clarity would do well to read Lynas’ book… the clearest account I have come across of what climate change will look like and how bad it might be, depending on what we do about it…
`The world has so far warmed by one degree. Lynas reckons that if our carbon emissions stay on their business-as-usual trajectory, “We could see two degrees as soon as the early 2030s, three degrees around mid-century, and four degrees by 2075 or so. If we’re unlucky with positive feedbacks from thawing permafrost in the Arctic [ie a vicious circle being begun, where yet more methane is released as the permafrost melts] or collapsing tropical rainforests, then we could be in for five or even six degrees by the century’s end.” In other words, most people alive today will witness the escalating effects of climate change….
`Somewhere between 1.5 and 2 degrees of warming, the Western Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets will be destabilised, leading to a rise in sea-levels that would put 136 megacities (those with 10 million or more denizens) at risk of at least partial flooding, with damages totalling $1.4 trillion per year by the end of the century. At two degrees of warming, almost all coral reefs will be dead. The Amazon will begin to dry out and transform into savannah, and every third summer or so there will be no ice atop the Arctic Sea. The loss of the rainforest’s carbon sink and the Arctic’s sun-reflecting shield will speed warming, hastening our entry into the world of three degrees, which is where things get properly messy. A three-degree world could be one of chronic food deficit, because much of the time it will be too hot in south Asia to work in the fields. Crops will start to wilt. In the US, the breadbasket of the world, harvests of wheat and soy could decline by between half and two thirds. [We need to grasp what these possibilities mean.] Deserts will begin to creep through Italy and Spain.
`At four degrees, “humans are not facing extinction — not yet anyway. But . . . civilisation is tottering.” Direct heat will have made much of the tropics uninhabitable, forcing the migration of hundreds of millions. At least a sixth of species may be heading for extinction… At five degrees, land home to half the global population will be “becoming sterilised by heat shock”. Coast-dwellers, imperilled by perhaps three metres of sea-level rise by 2100, will have fled or be cowering beneath astronomically expensive sea walls. Six degrees is same the amount of warming that kick-started the End-Permian Extinction about 250 million years ago, which wiped out 90 per cent of species. It’s an event horizon beyond which the continued survival of the human species is difficult to discern. Lynas says the likelihood of the worst is not high, but not negligible either: “Somewhere between one in ten and one in a hundred.”`
Yet this book `is cautionary, not defeatist. Lynas ends with a reminder that we still have the chance never to see the horrors beyond two degrees, because for the next two to three decades the main determinant of the speed of warming will still be how much carbon we choose to emit, rather than feedback loops such as carbon-spewing forest fires. Which is to say that the survival of almost everything we cherish — from the liberal world order to the birds at the bottom of the garden, from the Amazon rainforest to the food on our plates — depends on what governments do in the next five or six election cycles.`
Given that these are very serious possibilities, backed up by very solid scientific research — What would Jesus do?
