Stewards of God’s world and not owners to destroy it

by Gerald L. Durley

There are times in all of our lives when we are challenged to learn to and to do more.  Where there is a lack of knowledge about any subject, limited decision-making will prevail. Currently, around the globe, there are numerous discussions transpiring about environmental and climate change issues.  There are varied opinions as to whether global warming and all of the dramatic weather shifting patterns are caused by human beings or are these natural weather occurrences.  Lengthy, scientific climate reports are being produced at an alarming rate, while other research shows that inhabitants around the world need to change production and consumption behaviors.

As a clergyperson, a health advocate, and one deeply concerned about the condition of the environment, I recently agreed to join a team to travel to Europe to share and learn as much as we could about energy resources, alternative energy options, and what we can do to contribute solutions to the questions surrounding the environment.  As a recent convert on this issue, I traveled with an open mind.  I felt that my colleagues had been much more entrenched in these decisions, however once we encountered multiple experiences in Europe, I found a sincere concern among people who were genuinely committed to making a difference.

Our first visit to Prague resulted in my seeing first hand a farmer, of many years, who was providing energy from farm products, which did not pollute the air with carbon, nor did they require massive amounts of water.  I encountered farmers, in a coal dependant region of Germany, beginning to explore new forms of energy generated from old furniture.  This was highly impressive because this process got rid of waste, did not pollute the air, created clean energy, and produced new jobs.

Most impressive to me was a willingness to strategically educate people to a new way of approaching how they use energy and a newly emerging workforce.  I was curious about how one changes centuries of doing something a certain way:  the answer—one person at time.  It was and is frightening when one’s livelihood is challenged and an old way of existence appears to be diminishing.  What I learned was that funds were being allocated, not only to local elementary and high schools, but also to universities and institutes to educate people to a different way to view and use energy.  Schools are being subsidized to encourage children and communities to be more energy efficient.  Lighting, caulking of buildings, water usage, steam heat, and educating children/parents to conserve were impressive action steps for those who shared their plans with our team.

In a changing economy, there are two significant entities, which must be integrated into the intricate phases of development if sustained change is to occur.  One is the political system.  The questions surrounding legislation and policies, which directly influence funding, must certainly be addressed.  The Boell Foundation, in planning our itinerary, allowed us to see first hand those producing alternative energy sources, researchers and scholars who are writing extensively on the subject, educational systems which are teaching about climate change at all levels and the responsibility of humans, and the political system.  We met members of the Green Party and were intrigued with their strong, solid position on sustainability.  We listened to the legislative work in which this party is involved.  Their positions were very similar to those of us from America, and oddly enough, the oppositions/hurdles that we face were also common to the Green Party.  I was deeply impressed with their resilience and gained strength from their optimism and determination. 

As the faith member of the team, I was constantly seeking to understand the role of those who represent the faith traditions.  I questioned whether their voices were heard or respected when the debates about the environment were being discussed in the scientific, educational, and political arena.  Initially, I was not impressed at all as to the involvement of the Creation Care Movement or the churches impact on making a difference.  We met with several individuals who appeared to be very forceful about their convictions about the position of the faith community in the energy/climate discourse.  The people with whom I spoke shared their involvement and/or protest, not only in their respective countries, but also on the international scene.  They were concerned about the health and welfare of those whom the conditions affected and what the change in the climate was doing to those they were called to serve.  The European Christian Environmental Network (ECEN) was by far the most impressive group, in terms of faith involvement, that I met.  More than 125 different denominations were in the theological discussion about creation.  They highlighted that 34,000 plants and 5,200 animals are facing extinction.  They reported that 50 to 100 times the natural rate of species are disappearing.  They recognized, as do we that we are Stewards of God’s perfectly, ecologically balanced, created world and not owners to destroy and desecrate it.  I was greatly impressed and will share with my colleagues here in America why the ECEN feels that biodiversity matters:
 
 1. Biodiversity matters to God.
 2. Biodiversity matters because of the poor.
 3. Biodiversity tells us about God and about ourselves.

The ECEN has systematically and strategically put plans in place to positively shape the concerns of the European Union and its attempt to resolve many of the issues facing the crises of global warming and environmental changes.

I want to suggest that this initial trip serves as a starting point for more in-depth discussions and strategic planning sessions.  This trip allowed us to explore what we are doing and what we need to do to accomplish our goals.
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Gerald L. Durley is Senior Pastor at the Providence Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. From September 26-October 2, 2010 Durley participated in the EU Low Carbon Economy Tour, a 7-day study tour that brought a diverse group of 4 US representatives from veteran-, religious-, labor- and agriculture groups to the Czech Republic, Germany and Belgium for discussion of low carbon growth strategies.

Watch a video interview with Gerald L. Durley