Archbishop – sustainable development for a ‘new creation’
Bishop of Machakos and the Archbishop, with a biogas stoveTuesday 21st June 2011
As part of his visit to the Diocese of Machakos, the Archbishop of Canterbury went to the Christian Community Services offices to hear about the work they are doing in the region - empowering rural communities who are facing the challenges of food security, adaption to climate change and environmental conservation.Dr Williams was also able to see at first hand one of the village projects processing cow dung to create biogas (an initiative set up in partnership with the Anglican mission agency, CMS Africa, and the diocese).
Dr Williams spoke about the how Christians had begun to look at creation in a new way - as something which holds the wisdom of God and so should be treated with the gentleness and respect it deserves:
“In the last few years more and more Christians have been realising there is another relationship that needs attention and that is our relationship with the whole of creation. We need to learn how to use creation in a proper way, we need to learn how we can relate to the world around us - not in greed, not in domination, trying to bully creation to doing what we want - we need to learn to live with the creation, with the wisdom buried in creation, God’s own wisdom. As we learn to take care of those around us, the fruits of the earth are more likely to be used for the cause of love and peace with one another.”
In speaking about the work of the Anglican Church of Kenya, Dr Williams described how it was part of the restoration of the broken relationship between God and man, and between man and God’s creation:
“All the work that I have read about and seen, the work that I have witnessed in the Church - all that work is about the New Creation. It takes for granted the restored relationship with God our Father. It builds up a true relationship between human beings in fellowship and faithfulness. It works at restoring our relationship with the whole world around so that we can work for the glory of God in the world we are in. We can learn how to farm the earth, farming God’s way like the project I’ve been hearing about today - we can learn how to do that so as to honour God and bring him glory”.
Biogas is a form of energy which uses cow dung and other biological waste to produce gas which can then be used in the homes for cooking fuel and other uses. This preserves the forests by removing the need to cut firewood for cooking, while protecting people’s health in a smoke-free environment. It also reduces emissions from charcoal burning, is less expensive than paying for petroleum gas and electricity, and benefits the environment as it provides a natural fertilizer for farmers, protecting their bio-diversity.
Further information about the Biogas project can be found at the Church Mission Society website.
The full text of the Archbishop’s homily is below:
I am honoured and delighted to be here with you and I have looked forward very sincerely to this afternoon. I have heard of the work that is done here in this diocese and here in Wamunyu and I want say why I believe it is important. Do you remember the words of St Paul? “If anyone is in Christ there is a new creation”. Now when we seek to serve in Christ’s name, we are witnessing to God’s new creation - we are telling the world that God has begun over again with us. When we might have thought we were dead in our sins and our weakness, God has brought a new beginning. Now think back to the first creation; God created Adam and Eve, he set them in the Garden of Eden, he set them in the place where they were to tend the earth and look after it – a place where they were at peace with the rest of creation. And when they sinned their relationship with each other was broken, they began to blame each other, but their relationship with creation around was broken as well. Most importantly, their relationship with God was broken. Now when there is a new creation, what happens - those broken relationships are built up again; first of all our relationship with God is restored, we become his sons and his daughters, we are given the spirit so that we may pray together – in power, in love and in trust. And as our relationship with him is restored, so our relationship with each other is restored. The Holy Spirit is given to us so we live in communion, in fellowship, with one another.
In the last few years more and more Christians have been realising there is another relationship that needs attention and that is our relationship with the whole of creation. We need to learn how to use creation in a proper way, we need to learn how we can relate to the world around us - not in greed, not in domination, trying to bully creation to doing what we want - we need to learn to live with the creation, with the wisdom buried in creation, God’s own wisdom. As we learn to take care of those around us and the fruits of the earth are more likely to be used for the cause of love and peace with one another. And all the work that I have read about and seen, the work that I have witnessed in CCS, all that work is about the new creation. It takes for granted the restored relationship with God our Father. It builds up a true relationship between human beings in fellowship and faithfulness. It works at restoring our relationship with the whole world around so that we can work for the glory of God in the world we are in. We can learn how to farm the earth, farming God’s way like the project I’ve been hearing about today - we can learn how to do that so as to honour God and bring him glory.
So it is in this way that we show God has indeed given us a new beginning; when anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation. And what I pray for you in this work is that that creative power which is God’s, which brings new beginnings, will go on being at work in all these ways. Without this witness to new beginnings, to a new creation, the Church cannot be renewed, the nation cannot be renewed, and the world cannot be renewed. But God always says to us ‘behold, I am doing a new thing’. God is raising up new possibilities for us and we must follow those possibilities and make them real in our lives. So, together for Christ, we seek to show that God has given us a new beginning, we open the door of new beginnings to all those around us, we say come in and see what God has done, see the world is being made new - that our relationship is restored with God, with each other, with the whole of God’s creation. May God continue to give his spirit so that the new creation may be shown here and to all the work that is done here, and in this diocese and in this country, to his name be glory. Amen