Network of
Earthkeeping Christian Communities in South Africa
NECCSA Update:
April 2005
A
monthly newsletter on Church and Environment in South Africa
1. Environment Sunday: 5 June 2005
Environment
Sunday will fall this year on 5 June. As in the past, NECCSA calls on its
members to use this opportunity, with other Christian communities around the
world, to discuss environmental issues within the context of the liturgy and
Christian worship so that an environmental awareness can be raised amongst all
Christians in South Africa. Have you helped to make plans to celebrate
Environment Sunday in your local Christian community? Here is a challenge to you
to ensure that this opportunity is not missed!
The
reading for Sunday 5 June according to the Revised Common Lectionary is the
second half of the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:11-16). An exegetical and
theological discussion of the ecological layers of meaning in this text (in
English), prepared by Ernst Conradie, has been posted on the NECCSA website. He
offers a provocative reading of this prayer and focuses foremost on the
immediate human needs for food, debt relief and the dangers of resorting to begging,
stealing, prostitution, gangsterism, drug trafficking, or alcohol in order to
secure bread. The prayer to be protected and delivered from evil makes perfect
sense in such a context.
He
then argues that the second part of the prayer is born from within a situation
where the one who prays has done whatever could be done, but realises that the
situation is beyond her or his locus of control. After all, if the one who prays
could have done something to remedy the situation, it would not have been
necessary to pray for that (unless the prayer is again little more than an act
of self-exhortation). One would scarcely ask God for bread if one has been too
lazy to work for bread for one’s own family. The prayer is directed to God
because it expresses a trust that it is only
God who can still help to address the situation. This leads to the somewhat
paradoxical conclusion that the second set of petitions shifts the focus onto
God’s responsibility, whereas the first set of petitions assumes the
church’s responsibility. The second set of petitions is therefore deeply
spiritual even when the petitions describe material needs. The petitions cry
from the earth for God’s help.
2. The Environment and Pope John Paul II
“Modern society will find no solution to the ecological
problem unless it takes a serious look at its life-style. In many parts of the
world society is given to instant gratification and consumerism while remaining
indifferent to the damage which these cause. ... The seriousness of the
ecological issue lays bare the depths of humanity’s moral crisis. If an
appreciation of the value of the human person and human life is lacking, we
will also lose an interest in others and in the earth itself. Simplicity,
moderation and discipline, as well as a spirit of sacrifice, must become part of
everyday life, lest all suffer the negative consequences of the careless habits
of a few. It is manifestly unjust that a privileged few should continue to accumulate
excess goods, squandering available resources, while masses of people are living
in conditions of misery at the very lowest level of subsistence. Today the
dramatic threat of ecological breakdown is teaching us the extent to which greed
and selfishness both – individual and collective – are contrary to the order
of creation.” (John Paul II in his speech, “Peace
with God the creator – Peace with all creation”, 1990).
In
a recent article Fr Chris Chatteris, superior of the Jesuits in KwaZulu-Natal
and a lecturer at St Joseph’s wrote about the qualities he would like to see
in the new pope that is elected. One of these would be a great sensitivity to
environmental issues. It is perhaps an opportune time to reflect on the legacy
John Paul II has left in terms of his contribution to environmental issues.
Of
his papacy Sister Marjorie Keenan, RSHM has written the following: “The contribution
of Pope John Paul II to the moral obligation to promote a sound environment for
all is both comprehensive and highly differentiated. Taken as a whole, it forms
an articulated body of most relevant material, the richness of which still
remains to be fully explored and even more importantly applied.” [From Stockholm to Johannesburg: An Historical Overview of the Concern
of the Holy See for the Environment, 1979 – 2002; published by the
Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Vatican City 2002] What follows draws
mostly on the material presented in this publication.
In
the Pope’s first Encyclical Redemptor Hominis, 4 March 1979, he relates
the fundamental doctrines of creation and redemption to current environment
problems. In it he highlights the problem of pollution and the alienation of
humanity from nature, which is exploited for industrial and military purposes
and is seen to have meaning only to the extent that it serves their use and
consumption.
In
the Encyclical on the Holy Spirit, Dominum et Vivificantem, 18 May 1986,
he writes of the incarnation as having “a cosmic significance, a cosmic
dimension” as it signifies “the taking up into unity with God not only of
human nature, but in this human nature, in a sense, of everything that is
“flesh”: the whole of humanity, the entire visible and material world.”
(No 50).
In
the Encyclical Sollicitudo Rei Socialis , 30 December 1987, he conveys a
sense of urgency about the need to care for the environment if the peoples of
the earth are to enjoy true development. In it he writes that “we must also
mention a greater realization … of the need to respect the integrity and the
cycles of nature and to take them into account when planning for development.”
(No 26). Furthermore, “one cannot use with impunity the different categories
of beings, whether living or inanimate – animals, plants, the natural elements
– simply as one wishes, according to one’s own economic needs.…natural
resources are limited; some are not, as it is said, renewable” (No. 34).
In
1990 the Pope dedicated his annual World Peace Day of Peace Message to peace and
the environment. In this message, entitled Peace with God, Peace with All of
Creation he writes: “In our day there is a growing awareness that the
world peace is threatened not only by the arms race, regional conflicts and
continued injustices among peoples and nations, but also by a lack of due respect
for nature.” (1990 WPD, No 1).
In
the period following the United Nations Conference on the Environment and
Development in Rio 1992 in major papal Encyclicals and Apostolic Exhortations
John Paul II continued to refer to the obligation to care for the environment.
These included the Apostolic Letter Tertio Millennio Adventiente, issued
in November 1994, the Encyclical Letter Evangelium Vitae, 25 March 1995,
the Encyclical Letter Fides et Ratio, 14 September 1998, and particularly
the Apostolic Exhortations Ecclesia in America, 22 January 1999, Ecclesia
Asia, 6 November 1999 and Ecclesia Oceania, 22 November 2001, which
dealt with environmental problems in these particular regions of the world.
The Pope also addressed specific issues. There
was a recognition that sound food production requires access to land and
furthermore the protection of the rights of the agricultural worker. In
addressing the problem of chemical hazards he stated that: “It is a serious
abuse and an offence against human solidarity when industrial enterprises in
the richer countries profit from the economic and legislative weaknesses of
poorer countries to locate production plants or accumulate waste which will have
a degrading effect on the environment and people’s health.” (Address to a
Study Group of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences on Chemical Hazards in
Developing Countries, 22 October 1993.)
In respect of the possible dangers of nuclear
energy he referred to the Chernobyl accident as having had “tragic and
pitiless consequences for the environment and the lives of so many human
beings.” (Address at the Airport on arrival at Kiyev, Ukraine, 23 June 2001). He
expressed the view that every kind of energy must be put at the service of
peace, respecting the needs of the human person and also of nature. (See the
Address to Children from Chernobyl and their Hosts, 26 April 2001.)
On 10 June 2002 John Paul II and the Orthodox
Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew I, signed what has been called the Venice
Declaration in which they expressed their mutual concern for the
environment.
In
his writings John Paul II was consistent in emphasizing the need for
reconciliation between humanity and the rest of creation. In his calling for people to live in solidarity with one another he
also called on people to live in solidarity with all of creation. He warned
against the problems of consumerism and wasteful lifestyles, pointing to the
richer nations who are consuming an excessive amount of the goods of the earth.
He emphasized that the goods of the earth are to be shared among all. To ensure
this justice, ethics is to have priority over science. Human beings are seen to
have a special place within the world. While they are to use its resources
entrusted to their care they must also keep in mind that they are part of
creation.
3. The story of Eco Hope
Sr
Angelika (OP) send us this story of the Eco Hope project which was established
at the premises of the Wilgespruit Fellowship Centre:
Some
of you might have known Wilgespruit Fellowship Centre from the years of the
struggle. It was then the training centre for trade unions, civics, student movements.
When democracy arrived the facilities were no longer sufficient for the new
aspirations that emerged in the hearts of many. WFC also sheltered the many farm
workers that, encouraged by the PAC, went on strike and consequently had to find
a future in greener pastures. Initially such pastures implied WFC. However, the
payment for sheltering these courageous activists never arrived from the PAC.
Earthkeeping includes people keeping and then leads at times to choices that,
inspired by compassion, do not lead to financial well-being. While the earth is
never deceptive by intent, people can be.
Wilgespruit
then had a hard time to defend its beautiful land against the eyes and the mind
of greedy developers. After a long struggle by only a few of us who hang on to
the land the way a dog hangs on to a contested piece of juicy meat, we are
slowly seeing the light. It is the beginning of a resurrection.
Jess’s
house that had been occupied by strange beings with stranger habits’ has been
cleared and is becoming a reflection centre, especially for workshops around eco
spirituality. Believe it or not, a dream of myself and Jess who designed, lived
and died in this jewel of a house, is coming true after 10 years of a
long night. We are also planning a training centre for basic technical skills
for the members of Eco Hope’s projects in the garage below the house. The
conference centre will be upgraded. You are all welcome to support us even
though our facilities are less abusive of the Earth than a 5 Star hotel.
WFC
is about to become again a place where people meet and learn under the caring
eye of Mother Earth. Isn’t she beautiful in WFC?
Eco
Hope, a little NGO focused on ECOLOGICAL AGRICULTURE and GARDENING has its
offices in WFC and has taken care of the land during the dark years.
During
the past 2 years the wattle and other so called obnoxious herbs, bushes and
trees have been removed (not quite). Over 50 years of history they had sheltered
many comrades eager to move eastwards and many homeless people. However times
have changed and a sense of security needs to establish itself in the wild
valley.
Caring
for the earth from a Christian perspective to me is to love God’s creation passionately,
to be intimately involved with the health of the land and all the creatures that
live of and shelter on this land. What a challenging task God has given us In
calling us to be the voice and the guardian of the Earth.
With
love for the Earth (that includes all her living beings, 2, 4, 6, 8-legged)
Sr
Angelika ( OP) (ecohopep@mweb.co.za)
Please note
·
The interim steering committee to discuss the
structure of the South African Ecumenical Environmental Institute will meet next
month, provisionally in Durban. We call on NECCSA members to pray for this
meeting and await news of further developments in this regard.
·
The NECCSA Updates for May and June will be
edited by Andrew Warmback (andrew.warmback@diakonia.org.za).
Please send your contributions to him by the due date.
·
Any person who wishes to take responsibility
for two or three editions of NECCSA Update during the remainder of 2005 may
contact Ernst Conradie in this regard (econradie@uwc.ac.za).
NECCSA website address: www.neccsa.org.za
where membership and banking details can also be found. You are invited to
accept ownership of this website in order to use it to share information on
Christianity and earthkeeping practices. Please send any information to the
email address below.
You are welcome to distribute this
NECCSA Update electronically to any other interested person. You are also
welcome to send news to be included in the next NECCSA update to andrew.warmback@diakonia.org.za
by 15 May 2005. You may send such contributions in the language of your choice.
If you prefer not to receive the NECCSA Update in
future, please send a message in this regard to the email address mentioned
above.
Distributed by EM Conradie 22/04/2005