The Church's Biggest Challenge?

Back in the 1980's, when Britain's beaches were strewn with litter and sewage and acid rain fell over Scandinavia from the muck our factories coughed out, we were known as the "dirty old man of Europe". Listening to Condeleeza Rice being heckled at the Bali climate change conference, I wonder now whether the USA is the "dirty young man" of the world.

I know there are huge issues about the emissions of China, India and Russia, not to mention Europe again, but the wealth and privilege of North America surely gives it an added responsibility to take radical steps forward in cutting down on energy use and concentrating on renewables. I was out with some friends last night, all active in politics and committed to the cause of conservation. As a Christian, I find myself wanting to distance myself from what someone labelled last night, "the loony Christian right". Is there hope for the word "evangelical" to be redeemed while the White House is occupied by an evangelical that all commentators admit is holding back on costly but necessary measures to correct the downward spiral of climate change?

Now I tend to be biased, as anyone is with particular vocations and hobby horses, about the priority for the church to engage constructively with other faiths in an age of religious extremism. I have to admit, though, that climate change seems to be the number 1 issue of our age and tops even that in my book. It's an issue that is inextricably linked with wealth, inequality and the plight of the most poor on our planet. It's an issue that affects our children and our children's children in a way that perhaps no other issue before now has. For those of us in the church, it ought to be of the essence of mission and gospel. For those of all faiths and none, it can be a rallying point of unity and dialogue, because without positive steps it is bound to become a rallying point of war.

So, in the meantime we campaign, recycle, educate, vote, and some of us maybe even praying that the evangelical President of the United States has another conversion.