380
C. W. Ayre
Prayer for all the churches who confess Christ is therefore a standing protest against the
status quo of our divisions. God’s gift of reconciliation can and should find full expression.
Its aim is that the Church should become a real sign of reconciliation in the world. (1980,
p. 3)
If the Church is to be “a real sign of reconciliation in the world”, there are some
profound questions that all of us might reflect upon. What does it mean to affirm a
ministry of reconciliation? What does it look like? How does a ministry of reconciliation relate with the need for a prophetic voice on issues such as a sustainable
Pacific? It is never going to be easy, but if the Church is part of the mix, we can
hopefully make a positive contribution. A theology of reconciliation is basic to the
Christian Faith and has numerous implications.
Partnerships for the Earth
In order for the Church to be “a real sign of reconciliation in the world” in such a
fundamental area as the sustainability of life on earth, it will be necessary to seek
a series of partnerships which may at times push us beyond our comfort zone. It
will take us into the political sphere, working with science, with Christian traditions
perhaps quite different from our own, as well as with non-Christian religions or even
with no religious affiliation at all.
For some decades now something close to a consensus has been developing in
terms of our duty of care towards God’s creation, and this process has come about
in three main ways. In recent decades there has been a veritable explosion of ecotheological texts globally, and while there may be some differences in emphasis, the
overall position has been remarkably similar. A related factor has been that different
denominations and confessional bodies have independently reached a position which
has been expressed either in the form of resolutions or an official Statement. When
taken together those Statements become highly significant in terms of their common
vision. The third route has been through official ecumenical channels such as the
World Council of Churches and the formation of its Unit, Justice, Peace, and the
Integrity of Creation.
If the potential for faith-engaged approaches is significant in Christian terms, it
may be even greater when viewed in interfaith terms. In his book The Church and
Climate Change Ernst Conradie indicates the need for a broad approach: “Remarkably, Christians will only be able to hear God’s word in conversation with people
from other living faiths at the dialogue table – since climate change, perhaps for
the first time in human history, is a challenge that can only be addressed through a
collective, indeed a global effort” (2008, p. 101).
Just as Christian environmental Statements express fundamental agreement across
virtually all confessional positions and divisions, so there is broad agreement among
world faiths. In the year 2000 the United Nations Interfaith Partnership for the Environment published a book called Earth and Faith: A Book of Reflection for Action.
As the Director of the UNEP explained, this was the result of an effort “to continue
C. W. Ayre
Prayer for all the churches who confess Christ is therefore a standing protest against the
status quo of our divisions. God’s gift of reconciliation can and should find full expression.
Its aim is that the Church should become a real sign of reconciliation in the world. (1980,
p. 3)
If the Church is to be “a real sign of reconciliation in the world”, there are some
profound questions that all of us might reflect upon. What does it mean to affirm a
ministry of reconciliation? What does it look like? How does a ministry of reconciliation relate with the need for a prophetic voice on issues such as a sustainable
Pacific? It is never going to be easy, but if the Church is part of the mix, we can
hopefully make a positive contribution. A theology of reconciliation is basic to the
Christian Faith and has numerous implications.
Partnerships for the Earth
In order for the Church to be “a real sign of reconciliation in the world” in such a
fundamental area as the sustainability of life on earth, it will be necessary to seek
a series of partnerships which may at times push us beyond our comfort zone. It
will take us into the political sphere, working with science, with Christian traditions
perhaps quite different from our own, as well as with non-Christian religions or even
with no religious affiliation at all.
For some decades now something close to a consensus has been developing in
terms of our duty of care towards God’s creation, and this process has come about
in three main ways. In recent decades there has been a veritable explosion of ecotheological texts globally, and while there may be some differences in emphasis, the
overall position has been remarkably similar. A related factor has been that different
denominations and confessional bodies have independently reached a position which
has been expressed either in the form of resolutions or an official Statement. When
taken together those Statements become highly significant in terms of their common
vision. The third route has been through official ecumenical channels such as the
World Council of Churches and the formation of its Unit, Justice, Peace, and the
Integrity of Creation.
If the potential for faith-engaged approaches is significant in Christian terms, it
may be even greater when viewed in interfaith terms. In his book The Church and
Climate Change Ernst Conradie indicates the need for a broad approach: “Remarkably, Christians will only be able to hear God’s word in conversation with people
from other living faiths at the dialogue table – since climate change, perhaps for
the first time in human history, is a challenge that can only be addressed through a
collective, indeed a global effort” (2008, p. 101).
Just as Christian environmental Statements express fundamental agreement across
virtually all confessional positions and divisions, so there is broad agreement among
world faiths. In the year 2000 the United Nations Interfaith Partnership for the Environment published a book called Earth and Faith: A Book of Reflection for Action.
As the Director of the UNEP explained, this was the result of an effort “to continue