Remember those long summer days of June now already fading into a distant memory?
In the middle of that month, hundreds of local churches and people joined in with the annual Churches Count on Nature and Love your Burial Ground week, to celebrate and seek to protect the flora, fauna and wildlife found in our churchyards. The results are both sobering and joyous.
As well as noting 1460 different species, 50 less than the previous year, and what those were, such as mole, hedgehog, swollen-thighed beetle, oxeye daisy, herb robert and much, much more, a surprising 73% of those who registered for the initiative said inhabitants from outside the church community also joined in and took part.
When the church shows its care for creation, good stewardship and action against climate change, we witness to a God who made and loves all creatures. We also witness to a God who is relevant today with all the knocks and hurts this world and its people face, and can offer us a path of hope.
In the 5 marks of mission, ‘safeguarding the integrity of creation’ is at the bottom of the list. However in many ways it is integral to every other mark too.
When we care for creation we proclaim the good news of the Kingdom, gently evangelising about our creator God who sent his son to save us from our sin and who through his reconciling love invites us to join in with his redeeming work. Environmental action can also be a way in for new Christians who may already care passionately about the planet discover there are others in the church who do too, and bit by bit be nurtured in the relevance of the Christian faith more widely in their lives. Many today are also deeply anxious about our world, or affected personally by climate change such as the farmers on our doorstep whose livelihoods can be perilous as a result – so there are many near neighbours who need to know the pastoral care and release from worry Jesus can bring. Finally, the impact of climate change here and now on the poorest countries and communities cross our world is an urgent call to us all to strive for justice and peace.
Caring for God’s earth, holds together our relationship with the Creator, creation and all God’s creatures. If your church is yet to get involved, think about the nature count next year or starting your Eco Church journey which re-launches on the 8th October this year. For God so loved the world …. and so must we.