Christians can give hope in times of climate anxiety – day

Climate change is Here the IPCC’s new UN report says that burning fossil fuels is the decisive factor behind climate change and that these are already leading to more wildfires, floods and other natural disasters.

Thus, the act of questioning this and delaying change is over. You do not need “other voices” to create “balance” in the conversation. Now we need to take the tough news and start acting seriously.

[ “Extremväder är det nya normala” ]

Nothing is possible anymore Be the same in our churches. Infection has taught us to heal. If we do not change our entire society very quickly, we must clearly communicate a message when it comes to brutal consequences.

This change requires both sacrifices and a clear vision of another world. Is that not what Jesus taught his disciples so clearly?

Life is not about having lots of possessions (Luke 12:15), He said we should share generously with the poor (Luke 12:33) Even if we live simply like birds and lilies do not worry about tomorrow 6:25 ff)

If it is We are Christians, some who can lead the way to a new stable society, beyond the sectarian doctrine of consumerism and eternal growth. We can train people on how we care about each other more than our products and how care and community development are more important than growing material possessions.

Expecting God’s future is no substitute for prudent and thoughtful action.

– Michael Grenholm and Lenard Renault

Most people already have a good idea about the concrete manifestations of this simple, climate-friendly lifestyle: renewable energy sources, fossil fuels, plant-based diets, reduced consumption of freshly prepared products and more. This is not news, we have known this for decades.

The church here has great potential to lead. Fasting has been vegetarian or vegan in much of Christianity, with many congregations running second-hand shops and more and more people installing solar panels on church roofs. More and more pastors are teaching us about our responsibility to nurture God’s creation. Congregations share tips and experiences on how to contribute to the struggle for a sustainable world within a growing Green Church network.

[ Frida Park: Blir det bättre för klimatet om Slitefabriken stannar? ]

Are we reading the UN report? However, we realize that we are not only solving the climate problem through the changed lifestyles of individuals, but also making climate-friendly choices easier and more beneficial through collective political decisions. The most important task for us as Christians is to demand political action at all levels – local, national and global.

In a hundred days, all the nations of the world will gather for a new climate summit in Glasgow. Pilgrimages from various parts of Europe have begun on the way there, and our Christian sisters and brothers in Britain are now mobilizing to receive participants and hear their voices.

Our Contacts Sister churches around the world remind us of the global justice aspects of the climate issue. Less contributors to the climate crisis are the first to suffer catastrophic consequences.

We have to face the existential questions that are being raised among the youth who realize that their future is uncertain.

– Michael Grenholm and Lenard Renault

Some people worry about being late and think we can easily give up too. For them, we would like to say that faith in the Christian faith does not mean the belief that failure will not occur. The Christian faith is a commitment, a mission. We go into the darkness and light a candle because in the end we know that God is the Creator, the Sustainer, and the Perfect. God, who is always active, continues to send His Spirit throughout the earth, constantly creating, giving us every breath, and is with us when we die.

[ Fredrik Wenell: Kyrkans bidrag till klimatfrågan är viktigt ]

Hope abandons us Never, but it is not passive. Expecting God’s future in response to the situations and tasks we face is no substitute for prudent and thoughtful action.

There are many good examples of the Church experiencing the grief and anxiety of the people in difficult life situations and disasters. We must now prepare the churches to face disasters on a new scale. We have to face the existential questions that are being raised among the youth who realize that their future is uncertain.

Climate researcher Gus Speth once said that the biggest environmental problems are selfishness, greed and indifference, and to address this, a spiritual revolution is needed. We believe that the church is called to lead that revolution. We will pray and act to move from the fossil side to a stable world. We have been fitted for a time like this for 2000 years.