Being Present to the Climate Crisis

Taking action on climate change – along with the injustices and conflict it creates – is something that every one of us can engage in. As a community we can make the decision to Be Present, refusing to turn away and acknowledging the situation before us.

Watch the film below to hear Pastor Ray Minniecon explore God’s desire to partner with us in living differently, engaging with the natural world and others in ways that bring justice and hope.

Pastor Ray Minniecon is an Honorary Indigenous Minister and Community Chaplain in New South Wales, Austalia. He is a descendant of the Kabi Kabi nation and the Gureng Gureng nation of South-East Queensland, as well as the South Sea Islander people.

In the film he explores the role God gave us to care for the world and Jesus’ teaching on abundant life. Right now many of our societies may feel far from this, but our curiosity can also transform how God uses us to bring about change.

Practising the Three Habits

• Be Curious:
  Pastor Ray spoke about curiosity being the way in which faith operates. It leads us to seek out God’s voice and the story we don’t know. We can practise curiosity by seeking to understand the relationship people around the world have with their environment, learning about the role it plays as a source of life and livelihood. Be Curious about how God could use you to bring about change in your own context.

• Be Present:
  Pastor Ray challenged us to reconsider how Jesus’ words relate to the current climate crisis and therefore how seriously we take what is being discussed this week. Our encounters with others, both as individuals and through power structures, are inseparable from our relationship with Jesus.

• Reimagine:
  The book of Genesis at the beginning of the Bible describes the creator God’s desire to partner with us in stewarding the Earth. When we look at the impact of climate change and feel as if nothing will ever change for the better, we can invite God to renew our hope and find new and creative ways to partner with him and others.

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