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Discussion Starters for Lent, Week 5

*The section "We Speak" addresses concrete concerns faced in Australia. We invite you to ask the questions that are relevant to your own context.

Creation: Creation Renewed

The Bible speaks
You give breath, fresh life begins,
You keep renewing the world
Ps. 104: 30

Then the angel showed me the river of life, rising from the throne of God and the Lamb and flowing crystal clear down the middle of the city street.
Rev. 22: 1,2.

For now I create a new heaven and a new earth … Be glad and rejoice forever and ever for what I am creating, for I now create Jerusalem ‘Joy’ and her people ‘Gladness’. I shall rejoice over Jerusalem and exult in my own people.
Is. 65: 17-19

The People Speak
We stand at a critical moment in Earth’s history when humanity must choose its future. As the world becomes increasingly interdependent and fragile, the future at once holds great peril and great promise. To move forward we must recognise that in the midst of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms we are one human family and one Earth community with a common destiny. We must join together to bring forth a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace. Towards this end, it is imperative that we, the peoples of the Earth, declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations.

From The Earth Charter: Preamble (abbreviated version). The Earth Charter is the product of a decade long, 1987 – 1997, worldwide, cross-cultural and multi-faith conversation about common goals and shared values. It articulates General principles. It speaks to Ecological integrity, social and economic justice and to democracy, non-violence and peace. For the complete version, see: http://www.earthcharter.org.

Commitment
We, the children of Earth
recognise that we have exploited Earth,
but from now on
we promise Earth
that we will respect all its life forms,
and celebrate them
as valued members of the Earth community

We promise, that we will care for Earth
as Earth has cared for us,
protect the Earth community from harm,
and preserve the resources so that future generations
will have healthy food, air, water and soil
to live full lives.

We promise, that we will struggle to overcome those forces
that keep members of the Earth community
poor, oppressed and excluded.

We promise, that we will use Earth’s resources to sustain life,
Rather than exploit it.

Yes, we promise the Earth!

Acknowledgement Renewing Creation (S.A Heads of Churches, for Lent, 2004).

Prepared by Mary Lou Moorhead, for the ANZ Province: PJIC Committee, with acknowledgments to the Jerusalem Bible 2nd Ed. 1966; S. Van Matre & E. Weiler (Eds.) The Earth Speaks (Greenville ,USA; Institute for Earth Education, 1983) and Renewing Creation (Adelaide, South Australian Council of Churches, 2004)