Reflections

“Let us not become weary of doing good, for at the right time we will reap the harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6: v9 This is a scripture of motivation to the Christian people of Galatia to persevere in the ministry of God. Paul previously in this chapter speaks about “carrying another person’s burdens” (v2). For some reading that line already makes one feel weary, because there are so many of them. When you thinking about climate and environmental injustices and all other injustices caused to society because of climate change, and what it will take to bring about a balance can already make one tired. However Paul exhorts the believers to persevere because in due time the rewards will come. Many times we can start a work with much enthusiasm but after sometime the enthusiasm fades and we are set with effort and struggle. An example of this would be planting a tree/beach clean-ups/protest action, in the beginning it is all exciting and we are pumped, but months later the watering of the tree starts to become less/the beach clean-ups become less regular/the protesting loses momentum. Jesus was not adverse to this side of humanity. We are beings that get weary and Jesus understood that. “Though the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak. Be careful then not to fall into temptation.” We are all eager to do what is right in God’s eyes as Christians but at certain times the flesh takes over and we slowly shift into the procrastination phase. But Jesus brings relief in that whoever is feeling that their burden is heavy, he will replace with a light yoke (Matthew 11:28-29). But we need to come to him and receive this strength. We need to trust in his ability to help us through the work load. But if we persevere we will one day reap the benefits, the tree will grow and bear fruit and shade/the beaches will be cleaned and oceans will be healthy again/actions will be passed by high ranking officials. Like Isaiah 40:31 says “those who trust in the Lord will have their strength renewed. They will soar on wings like eagles.” This idea is that when we trust in God and in Jesus, He will lead us to finish the tasks that has been set before us, so that “we will not become weary of doing good.” So if we persevere one day we will reap the benefits. The trees will grow, bear fruit and provide shade. The beaches will be cleaned and oceans will be healthy again, and environmental actions will be passed by high ranking officials to see policies changed. Actions: Think of “Good” actions that you could perform for the community, and then to pray to God to help you persevere through the tasks so that you may not lose heart.

Psalm 104: 24-28 (ESV)“24 O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. 25 Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great. 26 There go the ships, and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it. 27 These all look to you, to give them their food in due season. 28 When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.” When reflecting on this Psalm you can hear how in awe of God the psalmist is (“how wonderful are your works!”). The psalmist is reflecting on the beauty that God has made and that he was the ultimate creator of all that we see. The psalmist sees the diversity in the ocean that God has made and how majestic it is. I picture a beautiful coral reef full of life and just something to behold. However the psalmist does not end there, he declares the provision of the Lord, and that all these creatures in the ocean look to God for their sustenance (v27). They wait on the Lord to deliver what they need. You see the blessing of God for the sea life (“when you open up your hand, they are filled with good things (28b)”). So just take a minute and think about the oceans and try to envision what the psalmist might be looking at and the condition of what he sees. The coral, the multitude of living creatures even the condition of the water. When speaking about the current environment, one always has to consider can we do better and sometimes when reflecting it can really feel like human bashing. Unfortunately though, we are the reason that the world is in the state it is in.  So here are some statistics of our current environment state: About 8 million metric tons are thrown into the ocean annually1. It might not have been literally thrown into it but it definitely ended up there. By 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish by weight2. The likelihood of coral becoming diseased increases from 4% to 89% after coming in contact with marine plastic. It also damages the skin of coral, allowing infection3. Coral reefs are home to more than 25% of marine life4. So now think of this picture that the psalmist is putting forth to inspire us about the greatness of God and his provision for the oceans creatures. What have we done to that image?  The oceans though are not the only species that are affected by human actions. The land creatures as well are severely affected by what we as humans do. Here are some more facts Biodiversity has declined by more than a quarter in the last 35 years5. Indeed, of all the plant, amphibian, reptile, bird and mammal species that have gone extinct since AD 1500, 75% were harmed by overexploitation or agricultural activity or both6. So the question we need to ask is this. If the animals look to God for their provision and then we take away their habitat and cause them to go extinct are we getting in the way of God’s provision for them? The barriers to their growth is us, human interference is a main contributor to animal endangerment. God will provide for them what they need, however we humans are the force that is taking what they need away from them and substituting it with what they don’t need: plastic, oil, gases, urban cities and agricultural land. So what can we do? Here are some possible ideas. An action plan for us to consider: Go organise or join a beach clean-up to try and reduce the plastic waste that destroys our oceans. Refuse to use single plastic bags, keep a reusable bag on you. When it comes to the land we need to rethink our city planning strategies in refusing to take more space to rather build up then wider, to protect the habitats of animals. Another action point would be to get involved with a local environment organization. John Paul Roberts References 1. Jambeck, J. R., et al. “Plastic Waste Inputs from Land into the Ocean.” Science, vol. 347, no. 6223, 13 Feb. 2015, pp. 768–771., doi:10.1126/science.1260352. 2. https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/…/the-new-plastics…. 3. Lamb, Joleah B., et al. “Plastic Waste Associated with Disease on Coral Reefs.” Science, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 26 Jan. 2018, science.sciencemag.org/content/359/6374/460. 4. https://coral.org/…/coral-reef-eco…/coral-reef-biodiversity/ 5. http://wwf.panda.org/o…/biodiversity/threatsto_biodiversity/ 6. Living Planet Report 2018 Aiming higher – Summary to found athttps://s3.amazonaws.com/…/lpr2018_summary_report_spreads.p…

Your Neighbour lives downstream from your waste “34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John Ch13 v 34 (NRSV) To start off this reflection one has to consider what does this scripture look like in our context that we find ourselves today? Does the way we care for creation show that we love one another? If Jesus was here today and saw the how some people live because of our actions, would he say that we love each other or not? Does what I consume have a negative impact on society around me? Do we know that the production of the electricity from coal power stations has a negative health impact on those who live around them, and those who work in the coal mine. When Cape Town suffered with drought last year, did we hoard water to make sure we had more than enough for ourselves, while others were struggling with just the little bit they could collect. If our waste is polluting the oceans and causing our neighbours downstream to get sick – how are we showing love? We are commanded by Jesus to love our neighbour, in this scripture to love fellow believers and by doing so others will come to know that we are His disciples. The love that we show and portray is evidence to the world of who we follow and serve. What about love for the next generation, and the generation after that? What world will our children inherit? Much as Jesus loves that we praise him in song and at church service, but if we don’t help the hungry, if we do not help those in need, which would Jesus prefer? Love as much as it is a feeling that warms us up on the inside, it is something that is showed through actions. “Don’t just tell me you love me, show me you care”. Jesus said it himself “if you love me, you will obey my commands.” (Jn14:15, Jn14:21) The fact is that until we show compassion to those who are affected by climate change and try to change our negative impact on the environment, we are not showing love to them. Climate change is now not only an environment issue, it is a human rights issue. Climate change is affecting the livelihoods of people and it has the biggest impact on the disadvantaged communities. So by acting in making the world a better place we show love to those who are disadvantaged. So what action of love can I perform for my neighbour? How can I reduce my carbon footprint so that my neighbour can have a better environment? How can I reduce my waste for the good of my neighbour downstream? #rubbishcampaign @renewourworldJ-P Roberts A key action we can take it to challenge the companies that produce plastic – the top producers are Coca-Cola Pepsi Unilever Nestle to take action