Faith And Duty Go Hand In Hand

The world is divided between people with two kinds of positions, as is usually the case in many issues. There are those who are strong supporters of Mother Earth and the environment, and there are those who preach a different message of scepticism. Where the strong activists provide facts and proof of the problem and even try to work out solutions to correct the wrong we have done to the environment, the sceptics on the other side do not need to win an argument, they just need to create doubt in the minds of the people which will lead to inaction and delays.

Paul is reminding us in the text to guard our faith very carefully, and to see that the evil one’s tactic is to create division. Division within the Christian faith is very dangerous, for it will lead us to spend a lot of energy and time arguing rather than doing something helpful and concrete to reflect our faith in action. Sometimes the sceptics only create doubt because it benefits them financially, for they are being paid by the powerful to silence critique by manipulating the facts, by spreading a false viewpoint.

This influences our response to the issue of climate change. Our faith in God’s sovereign rule and our Christian duty to creation are two realities that cannot be separated, they should go hand in hand. Our loyalty to the Gospel has to be reflected in our relationship with the whole of creation.

Forty days and nights without food is going beyond the experience of Israel, who at least had manna in the desert. Famished and starving as he is, Jesus still allows Scripture to speak more loudly than the rumbling of his stomach. The Devil invites Jesus to do what human beings do, which is to put their needs before everyone and anything else. SCRIPTURE: Romans 16:17,18

by Tafue Lusama Ekalesia Kelisiano Tuvalu (EKT)

Prayer

Creator God, forgive us for separating our faith in you from our relationship with creation. Grant us wisdom to act responsibly in demonstrating faith in you as we preserve our environment.