Tonight Bill Moyers will present a special called "Is God Green?". The PBS website says that the show will explain the new "holy war" occuring within Christianity between those evangelicals who are arguing for greater attention to stewardship of creation and those--mostly staunch Bush supporters--who "adamantly support the Bush administration in downplaying the threat of global warming and other environmental perils."
In addition to offering some more Kingdom observations that I have been working through at church, I would like to jump back into the blogging fray with some observations after I watch the show tonight.
In the meantime, can I just register a giant "SHEESH" at the use of the term "Holy war"?
While there are no doubt, huge differences of opinions about global warming, large amounts of distrust on what has mostly been seen as a "liberal" issue, and more sarcasm than we should ever reveal about Al Gore (and Bill Moyers, for that matter), can we Christians at least begin with an acknowledgement that caring for the earth is part of the clear mandate God gave humanity? See Genesis chapter 1:26-28
While we certainly can benefit from good, healthy, honest debate on how to carry out the command of God to be stewards of the earth, need it become a "political hotbutton" let alone a dividing line, (and God forbid--a "war")
Two of my friends at church who are in marketing heard me talk about my convictions that Christians have been neglecting our responsibilities toward the earth and said to me, "Tod, the environment has a 'branding' problem with evangelicals. It has become 'branded' as a liberal issue and now people can't hear you talk about it without thinking that you are going to make it a political issue."
Granted. So, let's see what we can do about "un-branding" it, lowering our weapons and considering again what our responsibility toward God's earth should be? And let's make no mistake: the world is watching us. HOW we go about this discussion will greatly affect our witness to a world that is already tuning us out.
For those of you who'd like to read more thoughts from pastor who drives both a Prius and a 4WD SUV--one to preserve the environment, another to enjoy the environment--I point you to my earlier posts.
I also want to offer some observations along the way about how our MIS-reading of the Jesus' statements about the end times is a huge part of the problem.
