Befriending Creation

My responses and interpretations after reading books on the subject of “Befriending Creation” have a lot to do with my understanding on creations in my past and presence.  Therefore, part of my writing includes background information about my upbringing, education, and work experience, which are to be integrated with my readings, in order to express my thoughts, meditations, prayers and feelings regarding the subject.

1      Cherishing the Story of Creation

When I was a child, I received the story of creation without any doubts. To me, the story was to be cherished, not to be analyzed and not to be challenged, only then one could totally enjoy the spirit of the story. At school, although the government’s academic curriculum, in the area where I spent my childhood years, had included science as one of the optional subjects for school children from age six to eight, the school that I was attending chose to start teaching the subject of science when the students reached nine years of age. During junior high years, I also recalled my school particular skipped the chapter on “The Darwinian Revolution” from the textbook. Out of curiosity, I read the chapter by myself, with the images of a single cell being developed into a human through the phases of a monkey and an ape. After looking at the picture of the Darwinian revolution, I sensed that some people were quite imaginative, as if I was viewing an abstract painting from an artist. My school (1970’s to early 1980’s) skipped the controversial subject to protect Christianity belief. Though I never found it controversial, only thinking that some people being very creative in art. In contrast, the creation story as described in the book of Genesis never appeared in my mind as being imaginative, perhaps it had something to do with the term “God said” was appearing many times in the book. I guess our intellectual understanding is built on top of our faith, not the other way around.

I entered the science stream when I reached senior high, and majored in Chemistry when I was in university, then I studied Computer Information Systems at a technical institute. In the past twenty years, I have worked in the field of Chemistry as an environmental chemist, as well as in the Software Engineering area for a few companies. The former one belonged to natural science, and the latter one was more of applied science and technology. When I was studying physical chemistry, there were many calculation exercises on the subject of thermodynamics. I saw them as a series of proof steps and mathematical equations. Not until now that I have read “The Luminous Web” by Barbara Brown Taylor, it illuminates me that the law of entropy is connected with creation, in which “unless something is done to prevent it [chaos], all systems tend toward increasing disorder over time”[1]. This is much more exciting than diligently working on the equations of physical chemistry, of which I have already forgotten all the steps to prove the theory by now, because I can see God’s presence in science. Scientific theory leads us to cherish God’s creation, provided that our understanding is based on faith in Him.

In my past years as a science student, as an environmental chemist, and as a software engineering staff, I encountered many environmental or/and ethical issues on living in the world as a Christian, but the subject on Biblical creation was never one of the issues I had. On one hand, creation sounds logical to me, and by imagining an ape turning into a human is problematic to me; on the other hand, I can become quite a poetic person when reading the six days of creation. My belief in God does not only rely on the doctrine of creation, but also His presence in this world, in which His presence links us back to the doctrine of creation, and moves us forward onto the doctrine of consummation, through the doctrine of redemption and salvation.

When I was reading books that deviated from the Biblical creation and heading towards Pantheism, they do not sway my belief on Biblical creation. I still have dialogues with those readings, but in a Christian perspective. Followings are some dialogues I have had noted down when reading “The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth” by Edward O. Wilson:

·         Edward O. Wilson: “MOST POWERFUL FORCES OF SOCIETY. TOGETHER THEY CAN SAVE THE CREATION.” (Kindle location: 1944)

o   My response: I think only God can restore the creation, not from the most powerful forces of society, nor our efforts. However, science and technology, along with people of stewardship mindset can help to preserve and to manage the ecosystem until the return of Christ.

·         Edward O. Wilson: “self-assembled by random mutation and natural selection of the codifying molecules” (Kindle location: 1962)

o   My response: Irrational to me, chaos without wisdom and intelligence cannot give birth to a self-sustaining ecosystem.

·         Edward O. Wilson: “evolution occurs but argues that it is guided by a supernatural intelligence” (Kindle location: 1966)

o   My response: Ever wonder this supernatural intelligence's name is God. Quite rude and irrespective to give a person a label arbitrarily out of one's desire when the person has already introduced his/her name to you.

·         Edward O. Wilson: “therefore a higher intelligence must have guided the evolution… no positive evidence exists for Intelligent Design. None has been proposed to test it” (Kindle location: 1969)

o   My response: Wrong approach to begin with, it is not a concept can be tested on, but so high of His intelligence that He can only reveal Himself.

·         Edward O. Wilson: “that the theory of Intelligent Design does not qualify as science” (Kindle location: 1971)

o   My response: True that the theory of intelligence design does not qualify as science, because it cannot be qualified as science, as the designer is beyond the study of science, and He is the creator of science (not only the creator of science but also creator of the rest).

To my awareness, I have never attempt “trimming theology to fit the science consensus (Henry Nelson Wieman)” [2], or vice versa. Basically, science is one form of the languages to describe the law of nature; likewise, the Bible uses human language in various forms, such as poetry, sayings, pronouncement statements, narratives, myths, and miracles to describe God’s way. Science is describing our observations about God’s creation (nature and its law), and theology is telling us the purpose behind all these observations, that is His original design.

2      Putting back the Creation Piece into the Pie

Without any doubts about creation as described in the book Genesis, after reading books under the subject of “Befriending Creation”, I gradually figured out that some of my issues on living in the world as a Christian are related to what Jonathan Wilson said in his audio recording that “the past 300 years of neglecting theology of creation disabled the church and academy”[3], and it extends to many of our living styles, which are contradicting to the holistic teaching from the Bible. Certainly, we need to include the theology of creation to allow our understanding about God to be more complete in order to spread the holistic version of the Gospel, rather than making the theology of creation, or any particular doctrine, overly outstanding above other doctrines, with the peril of leading us back to square one again of being biased on a particular doctrine, but only of a different one.  As Jonathan Wilson said in his speech about covering all aspects of doctrines – creation, redemption, salvation, and restoration, the “dialectic of redemption and creation”[4] is important, through linking all doctrines up with the doctrine of creation.  On one hand, we need to “be aware not to separate matter (evil) and spirit (good) like Gnosticism, disintegrate the matter of creation, and exhorted the spirit, or to avoid the neglect of the material world” [5].  On the other hand, if one overly emphasizes the material world, then whatever we overly emphasized and fall in love with could become our mammon (“anti-God that distorted our body image seduces us with counterfeit power promises life then crushes us in death”[6]).  A balanced balance emphasis on all theological doctrines is mandatory.

We always need to find a balance and to define a boundary within the subject that we are studying and practicing, regardless whether the subject of study is art, humanities, science, or technology. When I am reading about the subject of biology, I need to discern whether the author had overstated the definition of biology by making it sounds like a silver bullet. For example, “biology is the logical bridge between the three great branches of learning: the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities”[7]; my opinion as a Christian I think the subject of Spirituality is the bridge for inter-discipline studies, rather than the subject of biology being the logical bridge. When I was practicing environmental chemistry, I reflected on whether chemically extracting soil for toxicity analysis will do more harm to the environment than having the polluted soil itself sitting on the ground. When I was designing and developing software, I always questioned that whether I was saving more trees by lessening our use of paper for printing, or creating more electronics wastes. When I am spreading Gospel to people, hopefully with the help of the Holy Spirit, I can present the holistic Gospel covering the doctrines of creation, redemption, salvation and restoration, and God’s relationship with individuals, plus our relationship among people.

3      From Individual’s Being to Collective & Cooperative Doings

Putting back the creation piece into the pie requires a team effort of the world. The team includes every individual living on earth, like the theory proposed by Arne Naess in 1973 proposed that “humans are an integral part of their environment, and emphasized the interconnectedness of all aspects of our world and universe”[8], and as Jonathan Wilson said, “We do not have an environment; we are part of the environment.”[9].

If it is a team work, then individual needs to participate. Can we really propose a single blueprint on a green lifestyle to suit everyone, such as whether we take Sallie McFague’s advice of “traveled by plane perhaps once a year”[10], or we agree with Richard Chartres’ comment on “flying on holiday is 'a symptom of sin'”[11], then enforcing each person to follow regardless of their cultures and situations? No, because our behaviours/doings are the results of our being (hearts); and legislation cannot change people’s hearts. Only by knowing God (the holistic gospel), one’s heart can be transformed – from a resource profligate individual to a contented person that can distinguish needs and wants, to discern the balance out of love towards God’s creation. To illustrate by an example, buying a digital camera or reading electronic books can help lessening toxicity and saving trees for making papers; however, possessing five digital cameras and four kindle devices at one time could be an indication that the person needs to reflect on a quote by Mother Teresa that “Live simply so others may simply live”, because the level of generating industrial wastes may overrule the original environmental friendly purpose of lessening toxicity. As a Christian, “being contented” starts by having Christ to fill one’s emptiness; true fulfillment can only be found in Christ alone. If one recognizes God is the creator and provider and repents (“a change of [heart], mind and life”[12]), one can become less greedy, such healing is mystical, like “Jesus transformed despair into hope, and sadness into joy… did not do this by intellectual debate… but by physically rising from the dead”[13].

Committing to environmental practices for overly pragmatic or for self-gratification reasons could be problematic, as it deviates from cherishing God’s creation, because the practice would cease if one no longer see the immediate benefit from it. We are to collectively and cooperatively commit to good environment practice out of our love toward God and to cherish His creation.

4      From This Sandbox to The New World

Our collective and cooperative efforts cannot totally restore God’s creation. This world is a sandbox for us to prepare our hearts and to practice responsible and good stewardship of caring for our environment; that is in a world that has already corrupted and polluted because of sins. It is important to recognize that “we can’t achieve and accomplish God’s Kingdom, but it is God’s act”[14], and for us “to bear witness and to participate by caring for all creations (persons and world)” [15]. Only upon the second coming of Christ that God’s creation will be consummated, according to Revelation 21:1-5.

With environmental caring practice, we can slow down environmental pollution, but we are never able to rewind to the time prior “The Fall of Man” by human efforts. Our practice is to reform our hearts to cherish God’s creation, and to learn to be good stewardship as what we were created for, as stated in Genesis 1:26 as our vocation. The only way towards full restoration is the hope of the new world, total restoration by God upon second coming of Jesus. Only when consummation is reached, our holistic formation of good stewardship can be fully exercised to glorify God. For the time being, we are transforming and reforming our hearts to be closer to God’s heart; therefore, we are in tune to God’s original design, in preparation for the consummation.

Dear Lord, please transform our hearts through the work of the Holy Spirit in order for us to pray and play well in today’s sandbox, so that we learn to cherish and to adore your creation, holding hope towards your New World upon the second coming of Christ. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Barbara Brown Taylor, The Luminous Web, (Cowley Publications, 2000), Pg.27.

[2] Jonathan Wilson, (2007), Missing Creation in the Church (Grenz Lectures), Vancouver Regent Audio

[3] Ibid

[4] Ibid

[5] Ibid

[6] Ibid

[7] Edward O. Wilson, The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth, Kindle Location 1305.

[8] Martin J. Hodson & Margot R. Hodson, Cherishing The Earth: How to care for God’s creation, (Monarch Books), Pg.94

[9] Jonathan Wilson, (2007), Missing Creation in the Church (Grenz Lectures), Vancouver Regent Audio

[10] Sallie McFague, A New Climate for Technology: God, the World, and Global Warming, Pg.19.

[11] Martin J. Hodson & Margot R. Hodson, Cherishing The Earth: How to care for God’s creation, (Monarch Books), Pg.103

[12] Jonathan Wilson, (2007), Missing Creation in the Church (Grenz Lectures), Vancouver Regent Audio

[13] Martin J. Hodson & Margot R. Hodson, Cherishing The Earth: How to care for God’s creation, (Monarch Books), Pg.156

[14] Jonathan Wilson, (2007), Missing Creation in the Church (Grenz Lectures), Vancouver Regent Audio

[15] Ibid,