Jesus sternly but lovingly uses folktale to convey the reality of a ‘last chance’ (Luke 16.19-31).
Context
Though many of us have grown blasé at regular warnings about ‘our last chance’ to deal with environmental crises, we now face the spiritual challenge of irreversible harm to creation. The folktale employed by Jesus refers us to the spiritual traditions we have neglected, and their relevance to life under threat. As with the realistic suffering of Lazarus, the climate-related catastrophe already experienced by the poor of our world, is far from hypothetical.
Reflection
In old Scottish graveyards, reminders of mortality are striking. Hourglasses, skulls, bones, scythes on gravestones, seem gruesome to us, and yet the acceptance of mortality/finality – in our day so hushed-up, as if death were a shameful failure - has a healthy dimension. Death kindly brings the reminder that there is such a thing as ‘too late’.
The reposting on EcoCongregation’s page which attracted most attention, was an article on 'climate anxiety/grief’. This didn’t concern itself with those whose homelands are already laid waste. Rather, it highlighted the devastating effect on mental health of those living relatively secure lives, finally coming to terms with the loss of a global ‘happy ever after’. Is part of this, that the grim, likely, future comes without the comfort of attributable malice? That ‘we’ only have ourselves to blame? We lack the scant consolation of being victims of injustice. The Rich Man is not ‘punished’ but his life’s achievement is the digging of the pit that prevents Abraham and Lazarus, should they wish to help him, from doing so.
Nor did the article concern itself with any perception of injustice, that the lifestyles of rich nations were directly responsible, in a cause-and-effect way, for the extreme poverty currently the lot of 1.3 billion, barring climate exacerbation. But ‘ordinary hard-working families’ – the darlings of our politicians – have been (almost) blissfully unaware of such things. And although the Old Testament recognises the superior seriousness of ‘high-handed’ (intentional) sins, nonetheless, even in the absence of malice, responsibility remains, in society, for the suffering of the vulnerable ‘widows, orphans’, and ‘resident aliens’.
We are approaching harvest, which in Deuteronomy 24 comes with a stern reminder to those blessed with abundance, not to begrudge their surplus to the poor. Such surplus, in global terms, might be made available through abrupt and decisive changes to fossil-fuel addicted lifestyles, some of which, like driving and flying less, or eating less meat, would likely bring benefits to our own health. Accompanying investment in public transport would also benefit the less well-off in rich nations, those literally on the doorsteps of affluence. Our media render no neighbour on earth entirely out of sight out of mind – non-human neighbours included.
The fondness of writers of prayers and hymns for ‘restoration’, which is Biblically unsustainable (cf. Book of Job), serves our generations poorly, faced with such a prospect. God does not restore. Jesus is risen, not resuscitated. Revelation looks to renewal, not reconstruction, of all creation (a new kky/heaven and a new earth).
The energy of Climate Strike events of recent days betrays our recognition, that we have ‘missed the boat’ of solutions. All that remain to us are responses and mitigation. It is not straining interpretation to say that Greta Thunberg and Christian Aid/Tear Fund are, for us, what Moses and the prophets might have been to a rich man of Jesus’ day. The urgent, loving, message is the same: you’re in a pit already. Stop digging!
Prayer/Meditation
Based on Psalm 8. Also partly a prayer of confession, and seeking forgiveness. Probably best used with a conventional ‘assurance of pardon, e.g. ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; to all who turn to him, he says, ‘Your sins are forgiven. Come and follow me.’
Out of the mouths of those
too young to be taken seriously;
Out of the melting cores of ancient ice
with the memory of past ages;
Out of the mysterious communication
of trees with each other,
and much that only now comes to light –
which we have confidently disregarded –
you have built a fortress
to stand up to the scorn,
and give the lie to the chosen pig-ignorance
of our day,
of our world,
and even or our church.
Out of the favelas and shanty towns,
and those deviously denied a vote
or abruptly made foreign
in a land they have lived, loved and earned in;
Out of the burrows of those animals
culled and eradicated for supposed necessity;
Out of the forests felled and burned
and the sickening hell of the tar-sands
feeding the furnace of fossil fuel addiction;
you will build a stronghold – some in, some out.
And it will be sooner than we think.
And yet, what are we, that you care for us?
What are we worth that you warn us in due time?
What are we, that Moses, the prophets and Christ himself
are given that we might change?
What are we,
that like God
we can change?
And so, dear God, if there’s a citadel to be built,
a new home for all you love,
show us, as you have before,
how we might yet
be included in.
Even if we have to learn
from scratch
to hear your voice
right now.
Amen.
Questions
- Is there, or should there be a distinct ‘voice of youth’, as a prophetic witness in our time, to wake up (before it’s too, too late) to the inadvertent damage and injustice being caused by an affluent, unequal, throw-away society? What distinct contribution should other generations make?
- How far is ignorance a defence, when a society seems to be responsible for injustice towards those in plain sight?
- ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets....’ Can you see encouraging signs of change in our societies, and in the community of the nations of the world, that some of God’s loving messages in our day might be heeded after all?
All-age activity
Whatever else you do: listen to young people, many of whom are better informed than adults on environmental matters, even if less informed on politics.
With children
Whatever else you do: listen to young people, many of whom are better informed than adults on environmental matters.
On the Isle of Skye, at Duntulm, at low tide you can find footprints of dinosaurs. The footprints tell us a lot: what sort of creature made them, how large they were, how may toes, and so on. Make some dinosaur footprint templates on card, and use chalk to create some tracks suggesting that the dinosaurs have made their way into the building today. The sad story of the dinosaurs is not what many of the grown-ups learned when they were young. Dinosaurs were not slow, stupid and primitive, but they died out because they were not able to adapt fast enough, when the asteroid fell and changed the light and weather conditions in just a day or so.
In our lifetime, things have begun to change alarmingly fast, but we have a bit more time than the dinosaurs, if we do take notice of the warnings God sends, through the honest work of climate scientists, and in regular preaching and prayer that takes account of the climate crisis.
In the folk tale of the rich man and Lazarus, as Jesus told it, the rich man is worried that his family will need an additional warning to change their ways. Father Abraham says that the Bible should be enough, though the rich man is worried it may not be.
Think of ways in which the extinct dinosaurs might have a warning for us: perhaps dramatise this with puppets, shadow puppets, or posters (on recycled card) which can be seen and taken note of by the whole congregation.
And/or use the YouTube video clip ‘Dogs and Ghosts’.
Young people
Watch the film from Greta Thunberg and George Monbiot.
For as long as we can remember, middle and older generations have tried to gain credibility by attempting to be seen to learn from young folk. Is there or should there be a ‘voice of the youth’?. Having made sure with your leaders that all appropriate permissions are in order, Put together a vox-pox/talking heads video, allowing vine-length (6 seconds) contributions from each participant, on what should be the priorities for the church/the nation at this time. Share the link to the uploaded video on any email or print newsletter that the local church puts out.
Find out whether or not your congregation is part of EcoChurch (England & Wales) or EcoCongregation (Scotland & Ireland). How do you feel about this?
Rev David Coleman is Eco-Chaplain with Eco-Congregation Scotland, seconded full-time as a special category ministry from the URC. He is a digital artist and writer, often providing visual material for the Iona Community, of which he is also a member.
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