Looking Good in Green

I turned on Moyers’ PBS special last night with a bit of trepidation.  I feared another hatchet job that would reflect badly on evangelical Christians.  So many stories like this look like a reflection in a fun-house mirror—recognizable but ridiculous; identifiable but distorted. 

What I experienced instead was a pretty accurate and hopeful picture of both the church in America and the way that we could be seen in much more positive and accurate light in the future.  The picture wasn’t perfect, of course, but it was like looking in a real mirror after a restful vacation, some good exercise and slipping into a new suit.  We evangelicals looked stronger and more attractive than I thought.

Frankly, we look good in green.

When I watched the impact that the Boise Vineyard had on the skeptical forest service workers because they put their faith to action replanting a forest that had been clear cut and mined…

When I saw the conviction of Richard Cizik who combines a pro-life, biblically centered moral worldview with a deep conviction of “Creation care” because of a desire to obey the Scriptures…

When I listened to leaders (including at the end, a report about Pat Robertson!) who have opened their minds to scientific evidence about global warming—all because of its effect on the people and the earth God loves…

I saw the reflection of a church that is striving to fulfill the scriptures, bring justice to the weak, open their eyes to a genuine crisis, and care for God’s world as good stewards in a manner that is positively surprising to a cynical world.  I saw a witness of word and deed that can "earn the right to be heard" again from those who have tuned us out.

Was some of this because the show reflected a positive “green hue” coming from Moyers’ own point of view? Certainly.  And the depiction of those who believe Creation Care is not essential to our Christian discipleship was far less flattering.  And certainly the ugly prospect of political maneuvering were front and center.

Whether we look good or not, is not the point of course, it’s what the Scriptures compel us to do that matters, regardless of political ramifications or public opinion. 

But it sure felt good to look so good. 

Next post: When Theology Misses the Big Idea

For more on this see this interview, this blog and this book...

Comments

[Derek Simmons]

Tod:
I am interested in whether or not you saw a disconnect in the Moyer's special between the "creation care" activities in both Idaho and West Virginia and the causal claims of Houghton--and then Cizik--regarding not the universally agreed fact of global warming but the widely challenged lack of evidence confirming that man's activities are little more than an enhancing overlay on "nature's cycles" rather than the cause of them?

The "good green" acivities in this PBS special were focused on restoring trees and streams devastated by "creation UN-caring" and on the the "bad brown" activities of "big oil", "big energy" supporting groups like the Acton Institute[ that regularly challenges not the fact of global warming but the environmentalist claims that it is caused by man.]

Both Cizik and the NAE and Robinson and his Vineyard congregation will be successful in gathering to themselves others interested in such restorative efforts. But based on this PBS special, that is not the issue. The issue is how many Pastors and their congregants will give up their Tahoes or Jeeps in favor of Peds and Priuses to create significantly smaller carbon footprint in America?

Yours in Him,
Derek Simmons

[Jody]

Hi- I'm from Boise and I'm interested to watch this video. Thanks for the link!
I'm in California now, and the church I'm going to just finished up a study on stewardship, and among our responsibilities is to care for the Earth. So many of us are brainstorming ideas to implement at church. I used to go to a church that laughed at enviromentalism. It's so refreshing to be in a church that supports recycling, etc.!
I've seen your books before- I think I'll check 'em out.